chandeliers

in honor of new year's eve, and the glittery holiday that it is, i thought i would post about my current obsession. chandeliers.  yes, you heard it.

i had the privilege of traveling to visit family in an obscure town in oregon over the holidays. in a gorgeous, brand new, 4 story, 5 bedroom, 5 bathroom farm house, i fell in love with this entry way room...

there are a lot of things i love about this room. the regal colors, those stools, and HELLO, that chandelier. GORGEOUS. i love the black and white.... to die for!

i know they can be a little over the top - but why not??? i want twelve :)

here are a couple more practical ways to decorate with these in your home:

courtesy of belle vivir

courtesy of the lennoxx

x

peanut butter, dark chocolate fudge

easiest breeziest fudge recipe. you need to make this. (thank you cooking light!)

 ingredients

1 (14-ounce) can fat-free sweetened condensed milk

3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips

2 tablespoons unsweetened dark cocoa powder

1/4 teaspoon instant coffee granules

1 teaspoon vanilla extract, divided

3/4 cup peanut butter chips

1 tablespoon peanut butter

Click to see savings

1/4 cup salted, dry-roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped

directions

line an 8-inch square baking dish with wax paper

put 9 tablespoons milk in a microwave-safe bowl

add chocolate chips, cocoa, and coffee

microwave on high for 1 minute or until melted

stir in 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

spread into prepared pan

combine the remaining milk, peanut butter chips, and peanut butter in a microwave-safe bowl microwave on high for 1 minute or until melted

stir in remaining 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

spread evenly over chocolate layer, and sprinkle with peanuts

cover and chill for 2 hours.

cut & enjoy!!!! :)

holy guacamole!

not only could i eat mexican food for every meal, but i'm pretty sure that guacamole was the greatest invention EVER (besides the straitening iron - PTL!)

so, in honor of the upcoming SUPERBOWL.... i thought i would share how i make my favorite dip!

it's so stinkin' easy!

ingredients

3 avocados, peeled, pitted, mashed

2 limes

salt

1/2 cup diced onion

2 roma tomatoes, diced

1 clove crushed garlic

1 pinch cayenne pepper

optional: 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro
(i don't put this in because i gag at the smell of cilantro...
but maybe you love it :) so, to each their own!)

directions

throw all the ingredient in a bowl (except lime and salt)

MASH!

squeeze in lime juice and sprinkle with salt until it tastes perfect!

me? i like it very lime-y and very salty.
but this is a perfect way to tailor it to exactly the way you like it.

also. no guac is complete without the perfect chip. my recommendation? juanita's!
(you can find them at any local grocery store) and you'll never eat another tostito again!

x

bake-wear!

do you ever feel like a new ski coat, or snowboard makes you go faster?

or that your new lululemons make you feel like you already lost 10 pounds?

well, a great apron can do the same thing :)

it can give you the confidence you need to feel like you can conquer the kitchen!

here are my current faves from one of my favorite places (anthropologie)

x.

jewel box.

what girl doesn't love some jewelry? :)

here are some of my favorites from stella & dot ...

every girl needs a necklace like this. layered pearls... so classy.

you can dress them up or dress the down. get some.

i just love this little arrow necklace. dainty, but edgy. love.

rings are always a great way to spruce up an outfit. love this color.

i love this necklace. i have it :)

you can never get too many pairs of classy studs or short dangles (like these).

you could wear them every single day and they wouldn't get old.

again, love anything with pearls. and this color scheme is perfect with any outfit. 

bracelets like these are so versatile.

mine was kate spade on super sale from nordstrom. i wear it once a week. 

love a great chain bracelet like this... adding this to my wish list! :)

happy sparkling! :)

chicken pot pie

for dinner last night, i tried out a new recipe....

chicken pot pie (via all recipes with some modifications)!

there is something about this rainy, stormy time of year that just begs for some comfort food!

check it out :)

pot pie ingredients

1 lb skinless, boneless chicken breast (i used a mini roasted chicken - easy and perfect!)

1 cup sliced carrots

1 cup frozen peas

1/2 cup sliced celery

1/3 cup butter

1/3 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/4 teaspoon celery seed

1/4 teaspoon poultry seasoning

2 cups chicken broth

2/3 cup milk

2 pie crusts (see recipe below!)

directions

preheat over to 425 degrees

in a saucepan, combine chicken, carrots, peas, celery & poultry seasoning.

add chicken broth to cover and boil for 15 minutes.

remove from heat, drain into another bowl.

set both bowls (one with chicken mixture and one with the broth) aside

reuse the same saucepan...

over medium heat, cook onions, and butter until soft and translucent.

stir in flour, salt, pepper, and celery seed.

slowly stir in remaining chicken broth and milk.

simmer over medium heat until thick.

meanwhile... let's make some homemade pie crusts :)

the recipe says you can buy two, but everything seems better homemade :)

btw, this is my favorite pie crust recipe - so keep it handy!

ingredients

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup shortening

1/2 cup water

(you'll want to double this recipe to get the double crust you'll want for the pot pie)

directions

 in a large bowl, combine flour and salt

cut in shortening until mixture resembles coarse crumbs

stir in water until mixture forms a ball

wrap in plastic and chill for 4 hours.

*i have to admit, i didn't have time to chill this overnight. it made for some very sticky dough, but it still ended up working and tasting great! just know that you'll need some extra patience! :)

roll out half the dough on a floured surface

and place in your pie plate

bake bottom layer of the pie for about 6 minutes (this will prevent it from getting too soggy)

NOW... back to the pot pie :)

pour chicken mixture into the pie crust

pour hot chicken broth mixture over the top

cover the pie with the top crust and poke holes for steam to come through

bake for 30 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbling

cool for 10+ minutes before serving.

enjoy!!!

 i actually really loved this recipe. i would have planned ahead for my homemade crust to make that part easier. and i would have let it sit longer before serving, to be sure it firmed up. overall, this was a great recipe. good cozy home-style cooking.

cheers!

x

peppermint bark!

as i was putting away my christmas decorations, i was saddened by the thought of 20 candy canes going to waste. so i decided to make some slightly belated peppermint bark. this receipe is crazy easy - like 10 minutes start to finish. you should make some too!

just follow these easy steps:

1. unwrap all your candy canes. (i unwrapped all the ones i had,

but probably only needed about 5 to make one batch of peppermint bark)

2. put candy canes in a sturdy ziplock back

3. crush up the candy canes until no large peices remain.

(i found that the back of an ice cream scooper worked perfect for this!)

4. pour out the contents of your plastic bag into a strainer,

letting the smallest little peices fall into a bowl.

(we are going to mix these into the chocolate mixture, so keep them seperate)

5. pour one package white chocolate chips (i used nestle) into a microwave safe bowl.

heat in the microwave for about 1 minute, stir, and then 10-20 more seconds or until it's stirs smooth. mix in the small peppermint dust and peices you collected in your small bowl.

6. cover a baking sheet with was paper, and spread your mixture to the thickness you desire.

sprinkle the top with the larger candy cane chucks and press them in slightly to be sure they stay put.

 7. let the tray cool for about an hour and then break into little peices for serving!  

so easy and so delicious! would be a great treat to wrap up for a friend!

enjoy!

x

that's tight.

new favorite obsession? tights!

perfect for every winter day that ever existed.

love these new patterns i just picked up from nordstrom (where else?)

west elm

my dear friend candice and i set out on an adventure yesterday to visit the new west elm located in the south lake union district of seattle. WOW. what amazing design and style for super reasonable prices. i wish i was decorating a place of my own. here are some of the things i LOVED. and check out the prices. half of this stuff was on sale! perf.

perfect recycled glass vases.

um, do you love glass baby ? you'll love these even more. they are $10 each.

vases for any and everything. 

love this pillow. preppy & perfect.

who doesn't love a little monogrammed candle with their initials on it? BONUS: the scent isn't girly. it's a perfect present for a boy in your life!

these ooze urban coolness. want them over my desk like yesterday!

want clear glass kitchen cabinets full of these colorful dishes!

x

signed, sealed, delivered!

there is a lost art in the world today.... the art of writing and sending cards.

now, i'm all about modern technology, and usually respond to emails within the half hour in which i receive them. but there is something so much more genuine about the time, energy and effort that goes into a handwritten greeting card. this is one of many favorite things my mother taught me.

when my brother and i were young, one of the first things we did in the days following christmas was to write our thank you cards. and we weren't allowed to leave the kitchen table until we had finished them all!

what an art! an art of thankfulness, gratitude, and the way in which you express it.

so, to inspire you with your thank you notes, i wanted to share with you my tips for being a great card writer :)

*keep lots of greeting cards everywhere. i have some in my car, in my purse, at my desk at home, in a drawer at work, and i always put a couple in my bag when i'm traveling. you'll never know when you need one!

*buy a bunch at once. i LOVE paper source! i stock up on like 20 cards at a time.

*you don't need to spend a lot of money on cards either. i also get packs of 8 for super cheap at target!

*get small cards (especially if you don't know what to write!) a small card size can help you keep it short and sweet. and you won't feel like you have to fill up all that crazy space!

*write your cards on monday or tuesday after an event that happened over the weekend. (example: just wrote my christmas thank yous!) and put them in the mail right away, so they get it before too much time has passed!

*have stamps at all times.

*write from your heart! recount a great memory you had, or how delicious the meal was, etc.

for more tips click here!

that's all. thank YOU for reading ;)

wrap it up!

what better way to celebrate christmas than to blog about one of my favorite fashions....

THE BOW!

it's so girly and so classy. i can't get enough!

these fabulous finds are from marcus design inc

LOVE all these pieces from asos

 

 um, and this kate spade dress.... hello! so cute.

i hope your holidays are wrapped up nicely with a pretty little bow! :)

x