Stylish Blogger Award

Well thanks so much Lindsay at YAMS Designs for giving me and nine other bloggers this award.  I'd like to thank my parents, my dog, everyone that voted for me-- kidding.  But this is a fun way for me to tell you 7 things about myself that you probably don't know, and then I pass it along to some of my stylish blog friends too!

1. I'm not spontaneous.  At all.  I love planning.

2.I'm terrified of fish.  I won't go in the ocean without stomping around in the water first to scare the fish away.

3. I love sequins.  On my nails, on my shoes, you name it.

4. I watch All My Children.  Daily.

5. I carry a white ribbon in my purse or coat all of the time in case I put my hair in a ponytail.  Hair just looks better up with a ribbon in it.

6. I rode horses competitively for 18 years.

7. I have a weird crush on Mike Rowe from "Dirty Jobs" on Discovery Channel.

Now I get to pass it on to some of my very stylish friends:

1. Cup of Jo

2. Hanging with the Hewitts

3. Stephanie Cooks

4. Makeunder My Life

5. Good Life for Less

6. Wit & Whimsy

7. Sweetie Kiss Pie

8. Oh, My Darling

9. Shaken Not Blurred

10. Nikki Rappaport

The Smudgy Print

Is it really only Tuesday?  My blogger friend, Lindsay over at YAMS Designs were chatting about how much nicer today would be if it were Wednesday.  But I suppose this gives us another chance to what? That's right, be fabulous.

But if you aren't on the fab train quite yet, try out these watercolor-like prints will certainly spruce up your day.

Lulu's, Artistic Print Tunic, $43

I'm loving this color palate along with the defined waist by the ribbon belt.  Perfect for black skinny jeans.

Ann Taylor, Winter Whisper Cardigan, $49

This is just gorgeous.  I love the v-neck on this cardigan because it offers the option for a blouse-y top underneath or a statement necklace.

Old Navy, ruffled chiffon top, $26.50

That's right, Old Navy.  This is a great staple because you can tuck it into a pencil skirt with a metallic skinny belt or wear it with fitted cargo pants on the weekend.

Speigel, print sateen pencil skirt, $39

Such an interesting print, usually a floral you'd expect much smaller on a skirt.  This is a statement.

When buying prints like this it's important to stick with a pattern you're comfortable with, because otherwise it's going to sit in your closet.  Where you can experiment is with color.  Prints offer you a variety of hues in one piece so even if yellow isn't your color its softened by the mixing of yellow with white with black, etc.  Have fun with it!  Starting with these types of smudgy, watercolor prints is a nice way to ease yourself into the bold world of prints.

Be fabulous today!

Friday Foodday

Happy Friday lovebugs!!!!!!

Thank you so much for sending your holiday traditions and recipes and please please please keep them coming, I would love to continue this through the new year!

I have some great recipes for you this week, have a fabulous weekend!

The first holiday tradition comes from Cara: The recipe for Maggie's Favorite Cranberry Cookies is found in the children's Christmas book Cranberry Christmas - a 70's classic children's book my mom used to read me in the winter.  We first made these easy sweet and tart cookies together when I was really little.


Maggie's Favorite Cranberry Cookies From “Cranberry Christmas,” by Wende and Harry Devlin, 1976  

3 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup milk
2 Tblsp lemon juice
3 cups fresh (or frozen) cranberries, stemmed and chopped
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 375. Measure flour, baking powder, soda and salt into a bowl; stir with a fork to mix.

Cream butter and sugars in a large bowl till fluffy; beat in egg, milk and lemon juice. Stir in flour a little at a time, until well blended; stir in cranberries and walnuts. Drop dough by teaspoons full, about one inch apart onto greased cookie sheets.

Bake 15 minutes, or till firm and golden. Remove to wire racks to cool.

Makes about 8 dozen cookies. 

Blue Cheese Orzo

Ingredients:
2/3 cup of orzo
1 can of fat free chicken broth
1 tablespoon butter
2 heaping tablespoons mascarpone cheese
2 tablespoons blue cheese
1/3 cup frozen chopped spinach, thawed and wrung out
Salt and pepper

Directions:
1- Heat the butter in a small skillet. Add the orzo, stir until some pieces are browned.
2- Pour in the chicken broth, cook until most of the liquid absorbs and the pasta is cooked.
3- Add the spinach and cheeses. Stir until well combined. Taste- add seasonings as desired.

Easy-Five Mexican Dip

1/2 lb. (8 oz.), Velveeta 

VELVEETA Pasteurized Prepared Cheese Product, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

4 oz.  (1/2 of 8-oz. pkg.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, cubed

1 can (15 oz.) black beans, rinsed

1/2 tsp.  ground cumin

1 tomato, chopped 

Mix all ingredients except tomatoes in microwaveable bowl.  

Microwave on HIGH 4 min. or until VELVEETA and cream cheese are melted and mixture is well blended, stirring every 2 min.  

Stir in tomatoes. Serve warm with tortilla chips.

And last but not least is from a fellow blogger at YAMS Designs.  Lindsay unknowingly holds a special place in my heart because she was my first blog friend and I think she rocks.

Lindsay's cookies

Every year growing up, about a week - 2 weeks before Christmas, my mom would set aside a Saturday and bake her face off. My absolute favorite recipe of hers was the Kolaczki recipe she made. They were her mom's favorite cookies and a Christmas tradition for her since she was a baby. When I was little she would let me help her spoon in the jelly filling or sprinkle the powdered sugar on top. Her mom, my grandma, died Thanksgiving 1995. Ever since then, baking of these cookies has been especially important to me. My mom continues making her own recipe. Matt (the better half) and I have adopted his mom's recipe as our own to keep the kolaczki train rolling. This is her recipe that she brought over from Poland when she came here at the age of 18 :)

• 1 pound butter
• stick of cream cheese
• pinch of salt 
• 1 and half cups flour. 
• Mix all of the above & refrigerate for two hours. 

-Roll out to about 1/4" thick - Dough will be very sticky (this is good!) you will need A LOT of floor on the rolling pin and the surface you roll it out on. And you will need to keep adding it. 

-Cut out circles with a cup or glass, about 2" in diameter. Create a small indent or well in the center of each with fingers or the back of a teaspoon.

-Add jelly of your choice (small jar of raspberry, strawberry, apricot, etc), about 1/2 - 1 tsp each

-Bake 30 mins or so at 350 degrees. The rims will just be beginning to brown. Let cool.

-Sprinkle with powdered sugar and enjoy!