Cocktails and Friendship

My Worst Nightmare

2012-02-25T09:44:00.000-05:00

OMG

Sneezy, Snuffly and Achey

2012-02-24T17:19:00.000-05:00

3 words to describe me right now. Let's add a 4th-Gross.

CM was sweet enough to send me some cupcake flowers though :)

C Wonder-ful

2012-02-22T11:04:00.001-05:00

I had been hearing about C Wonder for a while (and actually getting text messages from friends who were able to visit the store in the city, telling me how much I would love it). Last month, I was walking through my mall and there was C Wonder! I was SO excited. This store is so fantastic, which many of you already know. I went back last week during their sale and got some adorable new things.

I love this sweater and wore it when CM and I went to the vineyards last Sunday. It has adorable gold buttons on the shoulder.

I also got a black button down, ruffle collar shirt, that I also wore when we were in Greenport last weekend. It's so easy to throw on. The best part is, the two together cost me $50. AMAZING.

They have some great stuff on sale right now although I think the stuff in store is better than what's on the website.

President's Day Weekend

2012-02-21T11:03:00.000-05:00

Hope everyone had a great President's Day weekend. CM and I headed to Greenport at the end of Long Island for a night. I love Greenport because you can pretty much walk anywhere and there's a ton to do. On our way home, we hit up some of the LI Vineyards which is one of my favorite things to do!

Now if only I could get over this cold I somehow got while I was out there.....

Shoe Pinspiration

2012-02-15T13:08:00.000-05:00

Shoes, shoes, shoes, shoes, shoes!!

Happy Valentine's Day

2012-02-14T09:48:00.000-05:00

Aren't these cute??

Have a great Valentine's Day!

XOXO

Lazy Saturday

2012-02-11T09:54:00.004-05:00

Just the way like it. CM has school today so I have the day to get some things done that I've desperately needed to get done.

Like

Get a haircut

Are you seeing this long hair??? It looks like I have a horse tail coming out of my head!

Next up is a trip to see the dermatologist. I always treat these trips with a bit of dread. I have a ton of freckles and have had to have about 8 of them removed in the past few years...chalk it up to being 100% Irish and a beach girl. (I'm now a sunscreen fanatic but 16 year old me was not....big mistake). Even though I'm not going for a freckle check today, I know they're still going to look. Fingers crossed they don't remove anything else-I don't need anymore scars!

Wear it ladies!!!

Later on, after CM is done with school, we're headed to a friends birthday party. Sunday we're going down to south Jersey to meet with our wedding photographer and to see CM's sister, her husband and our nephew. Yay!

Enjoy your day!

I Should Be On Top Chef

2012-02-10T09:43:00.000-05:00

....Because I'm obsessed with that show

I've mentioned a few times on this blog about how I'm trying to be a better cook. I figure, CM and I are getting married in 9 months and I better be able to feed us! He's actually a fantastic cook but works long hours and I guess I can't expect him to do ALL of the cooking now can I?? I stumbled upon this recipe 2 weeks ago when I looked in the fridge and saw that I had ground turkey, broccoli, carrots and cheese. I put all of those ingredients into a google search (gotta love the internet!) and TA-DA!

TURKEY VEGGIE CASSEROLE

The first time I made it, I followed the directions to a tee and I found that it was a bit salty-and I love salt. It was really good but I knew that I probably shouldn't be consuming all that salt so this time I tweaked it a little bit and cut the salt in half and added peas and green peppers. Plus, both times, instead of sour cream I used Greek yogurt and I couldn't even tell the difference!

Chobani and low sodium cheddar

Cook the turkey and add all the veggies

Mix in the yogurt and add the cheddar

So good!

The recipe is from food.com . Enjoy!!

Ingredients

1 ¼ lbs ground turkey
2 teaspoons salt ( divided)
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup broccoli florets, chopped
1 cup carrots, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons dried onion flakes
2 teaspoons dried parsley flakes
¼-¹⁄₃; cup light sour cream
½ cup reduced-fat cheddar cheese

Directions

Preheat oven to 375°F.
Cook turkey with 1 tsp salt in skillet until cooked through.
Add 1 cup chicken broth, broccoli, carrots, onion, 1 tsp salt and parsley. Cook on med-high heat.
Stir frequently, cooking until liquid is reduced. (About 10 minutes).
Transfer meat mixture to casserole dish and mix in the sour cream and cheddar cheese.
Bake uncovered for 15 minutes.

Words To Live By

2012-02-07T08:38:00.000-05:00

These words really ring true to me these days....

Weekend Recap

2012-02-06T16:53:00.001-05:00

This was one of those weekends that just makes you smile on Monday. CM and I went on a date on Friday night to one of my favorite restaurants. Then we went to go see a band play at a local bar. We used to go see them all the time and it had been a while so it was nice to relive the "glory days" :)

My spicy margarita~so good!!

I also finally decided to try a Shellac manicure. I had tried the OPI brand of gel manicures in the past and it started peeling 2 days later. I was pretty skeptical but the Shellac had gotten some good reviews so I decided to go for it. I'm so glad I did! It's been 4 days and my manicure looks perfect!

Looks just like Ballet Slippers!

Saturday night I headed out with KA, LT and TB for dinner at Sauce. It was FANTASTIC. The food was delicious and the atmosphere in the restaurant was so fun! Lots of 90's music that made us want to have a dance party.

TB and I

KA and LT

So many wine glasses!

Lastly, MY GIANTS WON THE SUPERBOWL! CM and I headed into the city to a friends apartment. We had a blast. There were 7 of us there but we had enough food for about 30 people. I made some buffalo chicken dip and sausage balls and they were pretty tasty. I also decided to try out a new cupcake place right by the house CM and I are hoping to buy. It's called Mr. Cupcakes....let's just say, if we move into this house....I'm going to be really fat because these cupcakes are to die for!

SO GOOD

Friday Happy Hour

2012-02-03T10:10:00.000-05:00

It's time for Friday Happy Hour! I haven't done one of these in a while but thought that a Superbowl themed cocktail would be appropriate.

The New York Cocktail

from Saveur.com

Photo: Todd Coleman

1 1⁄2 oz. Rittenhouse rye

1⁄2 oz. fresh lime juice

1⁄2 tsp. confectioners' sugar

1⁄4 tsp. grenadine

Orange peel, for garnish

1. Fill a shaker with 1 cup ice and add rye, lime juice, sugar, and grenadine. Cover and shake until well chilled, 10–15 seconds. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass and garnish with orange peel.

GO GIANTS!!

Bueller? Bueller?

2012-02-02T10:06:00.000-05:00

Have you all seen this?

I'm dying. I love Ferris Bueller's Day Off. This commercial is for the new Honda CR-V and it's going to air during Superbowl Sunday.I think it's hysterical. There are so many little tributes to the movie. Can you find them?

What to Wear?

2012-02-01T09:08:00.000-05:00

I'm extremely excited for Sunday (I don't know if you've gathered that from my last few posts) I realized last week that my football wardrobe was severely lacking. I've got plenty of Giants t-shirts BUT I didn't have anything that I felt was SUPERBOWL appropriate. I mean this is big, it's HUGE and we've been waiting to return to the Superbowl for four years.

A lot goes into picking out the perfect Superbowl outfit. It needs to be comfortable so that you can relax, and eat and hang out. It needs to show the appropriate level of team spirit and it needs to be something that you can wear next year-I stayed away from anything that actually said this years Superbowl on it.

I took to Amazon and of course came up with a plethora of options but ultimately decided on this sweatshirt

Cute, comfy and hopefully the sweatshirt of a winning team!

Superbowl Snacks

2012-01-31T09:08:00.001-05:00

I love the Superbowl. The food, the drinks, hanging out with friends on a Sunday

(I also think that the day after Superbowl Sunday should be a national holiday ughhhh)

I also love to get creative with what I make on Superbowl Sunday since it seems to be one of the only days of the year where most everyone ditches their diet-I know I do.

Last night I went on a pinning frenzy. I wish I could make all of these delicious snacks but I think I'm going to have to narrow it down a bit!

Martha's Spinach Dip

Oreo Truffle Footballs

Beer Dip

Blue Cheese Bacon Dip

Cheesy Buffalo Chicken Bites

Fried Pickles

Guacamole Grilled Cheese

I'm addicted to spicy things so that's a bit of the theme here. Plus, spicy things go best with beer!

Happy Saturday!

2012-01-28T12:53:00.000-05:00

Happy Saturday everyone! I'll be spending my day at Beer, Bourbon and BBQ in NYC. Sadly, I'll be working and not playing but it's still a fun event nonetheless.

I recently came across this picture on The Loveliest Day and I'm O-B-S-E-S-S-E-D with those bridesmaids dresses. They're amazing! Makes me kind of wish I was having a summer wedding....

Hope you all have a fantastic rest of your weekend! See you Monday :)

A Brides Best Friend

2012-01-27T14:52:00.000-05:00

Lately, I have been scouring wedding blogs looking for fun and new ideas for our wedding. It's really amazing what's out there and I've gotten some great inspiration. I came across Bride Tide, Top 100Wedding Blogs of 2011 and before I knew it 3 hours had passed.

The list is awesome. All of you brides out there, or if you're just someone who loves weddings, should check out their list and some of the blogs.

Piperlime: First Look At Spring

2012-01-26T09:46:00.001-05:00

I love Piperlime. I think they have a great variety of designers and price points and I find myself checking their website more and more often.

I'm loving their first look at spring. So many fun options!

Weekly Pins

2012-01-25T10:39:00.001-05:00

I love this Wednesday link up :)

Amazing

2012-01-24T10:57:00.000-05:00

Have you guys seen this? I love Ellen and think she's hysterical. I also love how inspirational she is and how she is all about helping people. Last week she had a girl from Long Island on, Samantha Garvey. She's a 17 year old high school student who is a semi finalist for the Intel Science Talent Search. She worked incredibly hard to get to where she is, despite being homeless. To hear her speak with such poise and grace was amazing

video platform video management video solutions video player

Let's Go Big Blue!

2012-01-23T14:48:00.000-05:00

This weekend was such a great weekend.

I found my wedding dress! Yay!

We celebrated a friends 30th birthday with sushi and cocktails

And the Giants are going to the Superbowl!!!!!!!!!!

I've Been Tagged!

2012-01-19T12:19:00.000-05:00

Miss Lindsay from Vineyard Loveknots tagged me so here we go!

The Rules
1. You must post the rules.

2. Post eleven fun facts about yourself on the blog post.

3. Answer the questions the tagger set for you in their post, and then create eleven new questions to ask the people you've tagged.

4. Tag eleven people and link them on your post.

5. Let them know you've tagged them.

11 Fun Facts

1. I'm addicted to Dunkin Donuts iced tea (large, 2 lemons)

2. I rarely drink coffee, unless it's of the pumpkin spice variety

3. CM and I met on St. Patrick's day of 2003 during our sophmore year of college

4. I grew up in Chicago. My family didn't move east until I was in college, although I spent all my summers in NY and ended up going to college in CT. It all worked out in the end.

5. I'm only 5'4 but my three best friends are under 5'3, thus giving me a height complex

6. I'm terribly indecisive and often times have to check out the menu before I go out to dinner and decide on something. I rarely ever end up getting what I decided on at home.

7. I come from a really big extended family and my cousin's are some of my best friends

8. One of my favorite places in the world is Lake Placid, the other is Nantucket

9. I love bourbon

10. I talk about the women of the Real Housewives like they're my friends

11. I would monogram everything if I could

Questions from Miss Lindsay

1. Favorite TV show?

I'm a reality TV junkie and love Jersey Shore (so cheesy I know!) as well as Top Chef and any of the Real Housewives. Of the non reality variety I love how I Met Your Mother, Modern Family and One Tree Hill

2. Heels or flats?

Depends, flats for work but heels for going out

3. Are you superstitious?

Totally

4. Favorite perfume?

One of my other obsessions is perfume-right now I have Burberry Brit, Vera Wang, Light Blue, Channel Chance, Coco Channel, Prada, Lilly Pulitzer Beachy, Marc Jacobs and Marc Jacobs Lola-crazy I know

5. Are you a Jackie or a Marilyn?

Jackie all the way (love this question!)

6. Favorite magazine?

Lucky

7. Favorite candy?

Sour anything

8. Siblings?

3-all younger, one sister and twin brothers

9. What celeb would you trade places with for day?

Jennifer Garner or Anne Hathaway

10. Favorite time of year?

Christmas time

11. Dream car?

Red Jaguar convertible with black leather interior

TAG!

1. Just another preppy shopoholic
2. Chelsea @ Choose to be Happy
3. Pink Lou Lou @ Confessions of a 20 Something
4. Ashlee @ Embrace the Moment
5. Fairfield County 411
6. Glitterista
7. Katie @ Keep Calm and Carry On
8. Kindra @ Keeping Up With Kindra
9. EAS @ Let The Tides Pull Your Dreams Ashore
10. Chelsea @ Life Is A Sunset
11. Hopsy @ Monograms and Manicures

11 Questions from Me to You!

1. Blackberry or Iphone?

2. Favorite accessory?

3. Chapstick or lipgloss?

4. If you could eat only one thing for the rest of your life what would it be?

5. If you could move to any place in the world, where would it be?

6. What is your favorite thing to do on the weekends?

7. Do you plan your blogs or just post when you feel like it?

8. What's your favorite movie theater snack?

9. If you could be on any game show on TV what would it be?

10. Who's your style icon?

11. Why did you start blogging?

Spring Things

2012-01-18T10:47:00.000-05:00

It's Wednesday!! Today I am not just NOT feeling the cold. So I decided to perk up my pinteresting Wednesday link up with some Spring Things....

I'm Baaaaack

2012-01-17T10:55:00.000-05:00

Sorry for the little hiatus. I was in Charleston, SC all last week for work and then headed straight up to Lake Placid, NY to ski with some friends. Tough life :)

I absolutely adored Charleston. It's a fantastic city and a place I'd go back to in a second. I think I'd be good at southern living....

This week is gearing up to be a hectic one. Work is crazy and so is wedding planning (although that's good crazy) Plus, CM and I are really close to closing on a house! Fingers crossed everything goes well!

I'm learning this more and more every day!

Bridesmaid Dress Shopping

2012-01-10T11:26:00.001-05:00

On Sunday, my bridesmaids, my mom and CM's mom headed into NYC to Bella Bridesmaids, to pick out the bridesmaids dresses for my wedding. I have a large wedding party, nine girls to be exact so earlier in the week my sister, mom and I went in to pick out some favorites to have the girls try on. I'm so glad we did this or else I think it might have been a little hectic.

I decided to go with a long Amsale gown in midnight. The thing I love about it, is that each girl got to pick out of three different tops so that they're all comfortable. I think they all love their selections and I have to say, I have one pretty bridal party! It was such a fun day and we capped it off by going out to lunch for some burgers, beer and football....very ladylike :)

Fantastic Giveaway

2012-01-09T11:57:00.000-05:00

Michelle, over at the Vintage Apple, has done it again!

She's having an amazing giveaway on her blog since she reached 1000 followers!

CONGRATULATIONS MICHELLE!!

Her blog is super cute and she's the brainchild behind one of my favorite link ups-Pinteresting Wednesday. So check out her giveaway, you won't be disappointed (did someone say birch box??)

South Bound

2012-01-09T11:26:00.000-05:00

I'm heading off to Charleston, SC tomorrow for work and I'm pretty excited about it! I've never been down there and I hear it's beautiful and a ton of fun. My sister actually suggested that we have my bachelorette party there so I'm really looking forward to checking it out.

Hope everyone has a fantastic week!

Secret Santa

2012-01-04T09:48:00.000-05:00

I participated in the Holly Jolly Christmas Swap hosted by the fabulous Everday AEM, Coffee at Nordstrom and Life of Emily . It was such a cute idea and a great way for a new-ish blogger like myself to get involved.

I loved getting to know Julia, from Classy Southern Charm, through her adorable blog and coming up with a gift for her was so fun. I ended up getting her monogrammed note cards from Lemonseed and CO on Etsy and I hope she liked them!

Right before Christmas I got home from work and there was this huge box waiting for me on the counter. I knew it was from my secret Santa and was super excited! I opened it up and saw immediately that my secret Santa had out done herself!

K Key Chain

Coffee mugs for CM and I

Lilly napkins and note pad

Fun matches and measuring cups

She also got me an adorable, sparkly, Christmas ornament for our tree.

So who was my secret Santa???? Ashlee from Embrace the Moment! She checked out my blog, scoped out my pinterest and put so much thought into what to get me.

So thank you thank you thank you Ashlee! You're so sweet!

Happy 2012!

2012-01-03T11:02:00.000-05:00

I'm back after a little blog break due to the craziness of the holidays and some computer issues. I missed blogging! I never thought, when I started this little things back in May that I'd enjoy doing it so much. I've loved "meeting" new people through my blog and I hope 2012 brings more blog friends.

I'm so excited for this year! CM and I bought a house and 10 months from today we're getting married! There's so much to do and I'm loving every minute of wedding planning. As of today, I started a new job and will be getting my company car any day now. Also, CM starts grad school at Columbia this week-I'm so proud of him!

Usually, I'm not one for resolutions but this year I decided to work on some self improvement promises to myself.

1. Stop stressing out about small things so much. Usually everything works out and I get worked up for nothing

2. Enjoy being engaged-I think I'm doing a pretty good job of this already but I don't do well with change and between buying a house, moving into it at some point and getting married I hope I don't get caught up in the "what if's" and forget how excited I am to be marrying someone so great

3. Be a little bit less defensive-I sometimes get my guard up before I really have to, I need to take constructive criticism better

4. Kick butt at this new job. I'm really excited about it and hopefully can really make something of myself doing it!

5. Tone up-the holidays are over, time to get my abs back!

The Big Man!

2011-12-22T09:32:00.000-05:00

Ever since I can remember, I've loved Santa Claus. I don't think I was ever that kid who cried on his lap, I'm pretty sure I ran up to him, arms open ready to tell him everything I wanted that year. I would try to be extra good the month before Christmas and hope he would notice. I would debate my Christmas list for weeks making sure that I got everything just right and I would try so hard to stay awake at night to hear him on the roof.

In some ways I still believe in Santa and the spirit that he inspires. Everyone needs something to believe in and I love that the image of Santa Claus is one of hope and giving and I think that's something everyone should remember year round, not just at Christmas time.

It's four days until the Big Man gets here! Are you ready? Have you finished your Christmas Shopping yet?

Happy Pinspiration

2011-12-21T10:30:00.000-05:00

Linking up with Michelle again this week for one of my faves-Pinteresting Wednesday! All of these things made me smile....

30 Things to Stop Doing to Yourself

2011-12-20T09:52:00.000-05:00

I've seen this article (read it here) circulating a lot lately and when I sat down to really read it, a lot of it hit home.

#7-Stop being scared to make a mistake-I need to learn how to do this asap and stop terrifying myself that I might make the wrong decision. Live and learn!

#20-Stop wasting time and explaining yourself to others-at some point you need to live your life by your own standards.

#22-Stop overlooking the beauty of small moments-I'm the first to admit I get so caught up in go go go that I don't stop and look at all the wonderful things around me

#28-Stop worrying so much-CM tells me this constantly. I can't help it but it's something I can work on for 2012!

What do you find yourself doing from this list?

Christmas Cheer

2011-12-19T11:38:00.000-05:00

It's finally here! Christmas Week! This year, I've found myself having a hard time getting into the Christmas spirit. I'm not really sure why, I don't know if it's because life has been a little bit stressful lately or what but my usual Christmas spirit explosion has escaped me this year. Well, last night I finally decided to get it together. I decorated the tree, had a fantastic family dinner and had a weekend full of friends and wedding things. CM and I asked our friend AW to do a reading at our wedding and she was so excited, which made us both really happy. We also think we found a place to start our life together which is beyond exciting! So, no more Ms. Grinch-I'm officially embracing Christmas 2011!

With so many great things going on in my life-there's no reason not to love every second of this holiday season!

Random Thoughts

2011-12-15T09:46:00.001-05:00

We're wrapping up the year at work and I couldn't be happier! I took the week between Christmas and New Years off and I am soooooo looking forward to some rest and relaxing. Knowing me though, I'll fill the days up with wedding planning-at least that's fun! Tomorrow I'm heading up to Mohonk Mountain with my team from work for our Christmas get together. I've never been but apparently it's a good time.

Saturday CM and I are heading out with some of friends to catch up. I can't wait. These past weeks have been so hectic that I feel like I haven't spoke to anyone-I'm being such a bad friend!

I'm sure they'll forgive me, or they might not have any one to vent to :)

I'm thinking about trying these this weekend. They look delish!

Chocolate peppermint cupcakes-yes please!

Most likely though-I'll be doing a lot of this.....

Classic Pinspiration

2011-12-14T08:36:00.000-05:00

One of Those Days

2011-12-13T18:05:00.000-05:00

It's one of those days

Just get me to Friday and I'll be one happy girl!

A Weekend of Productivity

2011-12-12T12:05:00.000-05:00

This weekend CM and I really got to work!

We booked a wedding band

Put an offer on a house....eeeeeek

Maybe one day.........

Picked out our wedding china from Bloomies!

Anna Weatherly

And had a fantastic engagement dinner with CM's family!

Happy Holidays from Anthropologie

2011-12-08T10:14:00.000-05:00

Anthropolgie has a 20 days of Christmas contest running. Every day you get the opportunity to sign in and win some great stuff. I don't know if you guys know about this yet but if you don't, I'd recommend scooting over to Anthro and registering ASAP! They are giving away some adorable things!

Here's a couple of my other favorite gifts from Anthro:

$25 and under:

$50 and under:

Holiday Pinspiration

2011-12-07T09:50:00.000-05:00

It's Wednesday-time for my favorite link up! I've been struck by holiday cheer this week and figured I might as well pin about it :)

Decorating Inspiration

2011-12-06T09:23:00.000-05:00

Has anyone checked out www.houzz.com? It's my new obsession.

CM and I have been house hunting and I'll admit that I'm super picky. Looking at all of these different room ideas has given me a ton of inspiration and I'm excited about turning whatever we buy into our dream home.

Who wouldn't want a bathroom like this?

Or this??

I would love either one of these bedrooms

CM better get working on a closet like on of these!

Bells Will Be Ringing....

2011-12-05T21:22:00.000-05:00

Holiday bells and wedding bells! This weekend CM and I firmed up our wedding reception venue and started the hunt for a band. We have a meeting tomorrow with the band I'm really hoping works out! Fingers crossed! I've also started the registry process. I could spend hours registering for things. It's so exciting to think that we're going to be filling a house with all of the stuff we need to start our lives together :)

I hope everyone had a fantastic weekend!

I'm Dreaming in Chanel

2011-11-30T08:41:00.001-05:00

It's time once again for Pinteresting Wednesdays! For as long as I can remember I've loved all things Chanel and I found some spectacular images on Pinterest. Hope you all have a happy Wednesday!

Holiday Sparkle

2011-11-29T07:28:00.000-05:00

It's the most wonderfuuuuuuuul time of the year! I am, self admittedly, Christmas crazzzzy. I love the lights, the tinsel, the cookies, the parties, spending time with family and the smell of Christmas trees. I think there's a special little glow on the holidays this year as I plan my wedding for November of next year. It makes everything a bit more smiley :)

The holidays also feed into my sparkle obsession. From Thanksgiving until New Years, I will find any way to incorporate a little sparkle into my life.

The would add some sparkle to any holiday outfit

Cute and easy decorating idea

Cocktails!

Sparkle sugar cookies-I need to make these

Or these

Perfect for NYE

A-MAZE-ING-I want this done to my eyes!

Love gold and green

Super cute

Turkey Hangover

2011-11-25T13:19:00.000-05:00

This is what I feel like today:

Time to get back on the program!

The Best Day of the Year

2011-11-24T10:55:00.000-05:00

It's finally here! I love Thanksgiving for a few reason-I love turkey and cranberry sauce, I love my crazy family and Thanksgiving is the official (although not according to the mall and radio stations grrrr) start of the holiday season!

I'm extra thankful this year: for CM, for my family and friends and for new family and friends and for all that's ahead of us. I hope you all have a fantastic Thanksgiving with those you love!

Words To Live By

2011-11-22T09:41:00.000-05:00

Thanksgiving Deliciousness

2011-11-21T11:40:00.000-05:00

Happy Monday everyone! And happy Thanksgiving week! I adore Thanksgiving. It's my favorite holiday for a number of reasons....

1. It's the official start of the holiday season
2. It's now appropriate to watch Elf.....everyday.....
3. It's time for family. And my family is extremely large and extremely nuts and I love every minute of it
4. I cannot get enough mashed potatoes.

This year, I'm going to experiment with a few appetizers to bring over to my aunts. Hopefully they're delicious (or I may never live it down!) Here's one I'm super excited about:

Fresh Figs with blue cheese and honey

I got this recipe from Use Real Butter and it looks A-M-A-Z-I-N-G

2 dozen fresh figs
4 oz Gorgonzola dolce blue cheese, room temperature
Honey
Candied walnuts (optional)

Top the figs and cut into quarters from the top down to, but not completely through, the bottom of the fig. Cream or whip the blue cheese (this doesn't work with the crumbly kind of blue cheese!) and fill a piping bag. Pipe the cheese into the center of each fig. Drizzle honey over the fig and serve with candied walnuts. Serves 24.

Are you experimenting with anything different this year??

Thankful Thursday

2011-11-17T10:25:00.000-05:00

I'm even more thankful this Thursday than I was last Thursday. Over the weekend, while in NYC, CM got down on one knee in Bryant Park and asked me to marry him. After 8 years together, he still managed to shock me! So this Thursday, I'm thankful for him and the past 8 years and the next 80 to come!

(sorry for so many pictures! once I got started I couldn't stop....)

Pinteresting Wednesday-Going to the Chapel.....

2011-11-16T12:11:00.000-05:00

This weekend was a very exciting weekend for CM and I.....and it's what I'm basing my Pinteresting Wednesday on :)

Talk about walking on cloud nine....

Watch What Happens

2011-11-14T09:46:00.001-05:00

My friend, HC, works for NBC and for the past year has been trying to get the two of us tickets to Watch What Happens Live when Lisa Vanderpump, from the Beverly Hills Housewives was going to be on. Well, last Monday, she was able to get them! We were both super excited. Lisa is our favorite housewife. We were even more excited to see Jiggy though!

I met HC at 30 Rock and she showed me around the studios. I saw SNL, Jimmy Fallon, The Dr. Oz Show and where they film Football Tonight. It was really cool! The best part about being at 30 Rock was when we were walking down the hallway and walked right past Brian Williams and Harry Smith. WOW! I was impressed. (and yes, Brian Williams is even better looking in real life)

After we left 30 Rock we headed down to the West Village and had a quick dinner at The Place. I started with the arugula salad and then had the sea scallops. HC had the endive salad and the sweet potato ravioli. Everything was delicious and the menu and decor are seasonal so we felt very festive.

Once dinner was over, we walked to Hudson St and up to the studio. The WWHL studio is tinsy! When we got there, around 10:30 PM (way past my bedtime on a Monday haha) the party was in full swing. They had a bar set up and people were having cocktails and mingling with Andy Cohen. We were shown to our seats, I swear the studio sat about 12 people, and the show started. Besides Lisa and Jiggy, Matthew Broderick was also a guest. Being the huge Ferris Buehler fan that I am, I loved it! Andy kept the audience revved up during the commercial breaks and both Matthew and Lisa chatted with people as well. After the show HC and I got to sit on the set and I took a picture with Andy. It was a great night all around!

Andy Cohen and I

Andy while filming

Lisa Vanderpump!

JIGGY!

Matthew Broderick

The set

HC and I on the set

Friday Happy Hour

2011-11-11T09:59:00.000-05:00

I'm planning on trying this at some point this weekend!

"Smashing Pumpkin"

Ingredients:

1 1/2 oz. Maker's Mark bourbon

1 oz. pumpkin puree

3 segments of tangerine with peel

1/2 oz. Grand Marnier

1/2 oz. brown sugar simple syrup

nutmeg for garnish

Directions:

First, make brown sugar simple syrup by mixing two parts brown sugar with one part water. Bring to a boil and then let cool down before mixing into drink. Once the sugar has cooled, muddle it with the tangerine pieces in a glass. Add remaining ingredients to a cocktail shaker filled with ice, shake and pour into glass. Garnish with nutmeg.

CHEERS!

Starting the Weekend Early!

2011-11-10T09:12:00.003-05:00

As I mentioned yesterday, CM and I are taking a "staycation" to NYC this weekend. To kick the long weekend off, we're headed to see Fitz and the Tantrums at Terminal 5 tonight! I'm really excited. We started listening to them about a year ago and I love their music. It's really mellow but fun.

I'm so glad we're getting a chance to see them live. Their album "Picking up the Pieces" is outstanding and their soulful, bluesy sound is a lot of fun to listen to. The combination of Michael Fitzpatrick and Noelle Scaggs voices makes for some really beautiful music and I can't wait to hear some new stuff from them tonight!

Also, Shari, over at The Daily Dish, is having a fantastic Crate and Barrel giveaway! Head on over there to check it out~you can win 6 stemless wine glasses!

New York State of Mind

2011-11-09T11:11:00.000-05:00

It's Wednesday again, you know what that means! Pinteresting Wednesdays with the Vintage Apple :) This weekend I'm heading into NYC with CM for a little "staycation" so I decided to dedicate my post to the Big Apple

Friday Happy Hour

2011-11-04T11:58:00.000-04:00

Happy November!

Let's celebrate with a Friday cocktail shall we?

FAIRYTALE COCKTAIL

6 cl Absolut® vodka
4 clwhite chocolate syrup
2 clcrushed strawberries
3 cl crushed ice

Cheers!

Thankful Thursday

2011-11-03T11:58:00.000-04:00

This morning I'm feeling particularly thankful. I feel like I've been blessed with so many wonderful things in my life lately and with the holidays right around the corner it's nice to reflect on them and really appreciate everything I've been given.

I'm thankful for:

A fantastic family:

This guy:

My amazing friends:

Peppermint Mocha's from Starbucks

Thanksgiving is right around the corner! My favorite holiday:

And right after Thanksgiving it's Christmas lights season! I adore Christmas lights :)

Lastly, a fabulous weekend celebrating the engagement of CC and SO as well as AM passing the bar, JO running the marathon and CM's Mom's birthday! It's going to be a weekend filled with celebration, friends and family and cocktails and friendship!

Pinteresting Wednesday-Kickin' It Old School

2011-11-02T10:12:00.000-04:00

I'm linking up with Michelle at The Vintage Apple once again for Pinteresting Wednesdays. Anyone who knows me, knows I LOOOOOOOOVE J.Crew. It's a serious addiction. I get really excited for the new arrivals and for their 30% off sale items promotions. In past years (the Jenna Lyons years) I've been a bit less than impressed sometimes. I think they've become a bit overstyled. I'm more a fan of the classic, clean J.Crew of years past. This week-I'm dedicating my pins to "Vintage" J.Crew images.

September 2008

1997

2005

2007

August 2007

August 2009

February 2008

March 2008

1990's??

November 2007

Winter Wonderland

2011-11-01T10:54:00.000-04:00

As some of you might have heard, the Northeast had a very strange weekend! At around 11 AM on Saturday, the rain we were having turned to snow! I love snow but even I was a bit disturbed by how early it was snowy-October! That's insane! Plus, it wasn't pretty snow-it was sleet snow and it was heavy and it made driving and being outside pretty difficult. I was lucky and we didn't lose power, but CM, who lives in NJ, has been without power since Saturday afternoon and they don't think they'll be getting it back until tomorrow! Needless to say, he's pretty cold!

In light of the early snow, I decided to break out some of my favorite winter looks

A Frosty Winter in Glasgow by elizabethcarter featuring a wool trench coat

autumn/ winter 2011 by empty-thoughts featuring a scoop neck shirt

Transition Weather: Dress by fashionmefabulous featuring argyle tights

Winter by izabela featuring knee high boots

Winter wardrobe by antonia1991 featuring pearl earrings

fall fun by aorpia featuring a leather tote

Seeing Spots

2011-10-31T08:45:00.000-04:00

I've become obsessed with leopard prints. Shoes, skirts, tops, belts-you name it I love it. Being that I'm from the East Coast, I've seen my fair share of overdoing it with the prints (think Snooki) so I've been really conscious of incorporating my leopard tastefully. Well I hope it's tastefully! Here's a few of my favorite animal inspired pieces.

How do you feel about leopard this season?

Say Boo!

2011-10-28T11:44:00.000-04:00

Happy Halloween!!

Bloody-tini

Loaded with a serious burst of antioxidants from the most talked about superfruit, acai, this cocktail will give you the strength you need to survive once the sun rises. (from top5.com)

2 ounces Veev Acai Spirit
1 ounce acai juice
½ ounce fresh lime juice
fresh champagne to top

Combine Veev, acai juice, and lime juice with ice in a cocktail shaker and shake well. Strain into a chilled martini glass and top with champagne. Garnish with a fresh lime wedge.

Costume Crazy

2011-10-27T08:25:00.000-04:00

CM and I decided to sit this Halloween out for some quality time because the past few weekends have been nuts and the next few coming up are going to be equally as crazy. Being that we only really get to see each other on weekends, laying low seemed like a nice option. At first I was a bit sad as I love going out with my friends but then I realized I was saving money on a costume and going out in the city. The icing on the cake was when I saw the high temperature for Saturday was 47 degrees-brrrrrrrrrrrrr! I was planning on being Dorothy from the Wizard of OZ but I don't think my ruby slippers would have appreciated the freezing temperatures!

Staying in the Halloween spirit I decided to scout out some ideas for next year :)

I would love to rock these shoes if I was Dorothy!

How cute are these peanut people??

What are you being for Halloween??

Pinteresting Wednesday: Random Things That Make Me Smile

2011-10-26T15:27:00.000-04:00

Yay for my 101st post! Linking up with The Vintage Apple once again for my favorite part of hump day!

Bourbon makes everything better :)

I wish I realized how smart Winnie the Pooh was when I was younger

You're never too old

My favorite things

Where can I get these??

Words of wisdom

From Thanksgiving until Christmas, Buddy is my best friend (It would be year round but I need to control myself)

One day I WILL own these

Totally the same thing

Once Upon A Time

2011-10-25T09:17:00.001-04:00

I was super excited about the debut of ABC's Once Upon a Time. On Sunday night, CM and I snuggled up after spending some time by our first fire of the fall, to watch the show. He was a little skeptical at first but said he would give it a shot since it's from the creators of Lost. I loved it and think it has a lot of potential. The story line is interesting and has a very Lost like feel to it. The way the story is told in the past and the present is interesting and even the sound effects were reminiscent of Lost. CM wasn't very impressed with the acting, which is surprising since I think Gennifer Goodwin is a fantastic actress but he said he was willing to continue watching with me in the upcoming weeks to see how things pan out.

EW.Com has a great article about the show and the season ahead. Apparently, equal time will be spent in both worlds and only the first few episodes will focus on Snow White and Prince Charming. I love that they're incorporating many different storybook characters into their story lines and that you'll get to see them throughout the show.

Plus, in typical Lost fashion-attention to details was great. At the evil Queen's house in the present day there are apples on the table, Red Riding hood wears a red scarf while in the present-little things like that are what make the writers of the show so fantastic. I'm really looking forward to episode 3. According to the EW article, it will be a prequel to the pilot. If the series continues in Lost fashion, than a prequel will be a really exciting episode.

Did you watch Once Upon a Time? If so, what did you think?

Pumpkin Spice and Everything Nice!

2011-10-24T12:13:00.000-04:00

For the past month I've been conducting some super serious, scientific research....I was in search of the perfect Pumpkin Spice Latte! Obviously, very important information was gathered and data was compared before I could come up with the final results.

Starbucks: I was always a fan of the Starbucks pumpkin spice latte. It's got a good flavor and the pumpkin really comes through. This is a great go to latte and since there's a Starbucks every two feet in NY, they're pretty easy to come by.

Dunkin' Donuts: It's funny-I'm actually not a big coffee person (I think that's why I like latte's, they're mostly milk) but I am OBSESSED with Dunkin' Donuts unsweetened iced tea (2 lemons!). I can't get enough and it's a serious addiction. I thought I was going to love the DD pumpkin spice latte but it was my least favorite. It was super sugary and it made me really thirsty! Plus, the sweetness and sugar gave me a headache.

Panera: The winner! I loooooooved the Panera pumpkin spice latte. It was rich and delicious and tasted like pumpkin pie in a cup. This is by far my favorite pumpkin spice latte out there. I even signed up for a Panera card while I was there to get some fun Panera perks.

No Joe's Cafe: This is my one true love. No Joe's Cafe is located in Red Bank, NJ, down by the shore. CM's sister lives there so everytime we go visit I make sure we stop so I can indulge in a latte. Their latte is by far the best out of all I tried and if they were closer to me and more accessible I would have declared them the winner. Sadly, they have to be reserved as a special treat. At least we go visit every few weeks!

Do you have a favorite pumpkin spice latte? Are there any out there that I should try??

Being A Vidiot

2011-10-17T09:43:00.002-04:00

I'm finally getting into fall TV after spending some time with my DVR. Admittedly, I have a bit of a reality TV addiction-it's pretty bad. Put the words "real housewives" in front of something and it's pretty much guaranteed I'll watch it. I cannot get enough of those nuts from New Jersey and when I die I want to come back as Lisa Vanderpump.

The same goes for Jersey Shore-I don't know if it's because I spend time at the shore every summer (the classy part of the shore not the shore of Sammi and Ronnie) or if it's because a ton of my friends are from NJ but every Thursday I get inappropriately excited to see what kind of shenanigans they're going to get into .

So cheesy I know!

In the non reality world I'm still loving Modern Family. I think that show is hysterical and it keeps getting funnier every episode. I was skeptical about the more grown up Lilly but I think they've done a great job with her and actually give her some pretty funny lines.

Tim Allen's new show-Last Man Standing-was pretty good! I wasn't sure what to expect but decided to give it a shot and I'm glad I did. His character is a fun but still kind of secretly sweet Dad with 3 daughters, a wife and a grandson. Hopefully this show continues to get better and better.

Lastly, I'm looking forward to the new show, Once Upon a Time, on ABC. It debuts on October 23rd and looks promising. I love a good fairy tale and this show has a twist to it. It goes beyond "happily ever after" and we see what happens when things don't work out according to plan. The creators are the same creators who came up with LOST and that makes me beyond happy! Fingers crossed it's good!

What are you watching this fall?? Is there anything I'm missing out on??

Champagne Wishes

2011-10-14T09:35:00.000-04:00

It's time for Friday Happy Hour and this week I'm feeling fancy and in the mood to celebrate that it's FINALLY Friday. What better what to do that than with champagne??? (or even better-champagne and cupcakes-my favorite combo!) I'm also loving blood orange anything these days so why not combine the two? This recipe is super simple and delicious!

Ingredients

1 bottle champagne, chilled

½ bottle Central Market Blood Orange Soda

Instructions

Fill flutes with mixture and serve.

This weekend CM and I are heading down to south Jersey to see his sister, brother in law and nephew. I'm going to test out a cream cheese pumpkin bread recipe on them and see how it goes over.

CHEERS EVERYONE!

Black Bean, Corn and Turkey Chili

2011-10-13T10:38:00.000-04:00

I'm getting there....slowly but surely I'm learning to cook! I tackled this recipe on Tuesday night and have to say I was pretty pleased with myself. I added some green peppers, used low sodium products when I could and served it over brown rice with some low fat mexican cheese. I think we have a keeper!

Swanson® Black Bean, Corn and Turkey Chili

Rated:

Submitted By: Campbell's Kitchen

Prep Time: 15 Minutes

Cook Time: 40 Minutes

Ready In: 55 Minutes

Servings: 6

"Ground turkey is flavored with spicy salsa, a blend of Southwestern spices, onions, corn, black beans and Swanson® Chicken Broth for a satisfying twist on traditional chili."

INGREDIENTS:

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 pound ground turkey

1 large onion, chopped

2 tablespoons chili powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves,

crushed

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1 3/4 cups Swanson® Chicken Broth

(Regular, Natural Goodness™ or

Certified Organic)

1 cup Pace® Thick & Chunky Salsa

1 tablespoon sugar

1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and

drained

1 (16 ounce) can whole kernel corn,

drained

DIRECTIONS:

1.	Heat the oil in a 4-quart saucepot over medium-high heat. Add the turkey, onion, chili powder, cumin, oregano, black pepper and garlic powder. Cook until the turkey is well browned, stirring often.
2.	Stir the broth, salsa, sugar, beans and corn in the saucepot and heat to a boil. Reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook for 30 minutes or until the mixture is hot and bubbling.

Printed from Allrecipes.com 10/11/2011

Pinteresting Wednesday

2011-10-12T08:57:00.000-04:00

For as long as I can remember I've loved all things navy. I'm linking up with the Vintage Apple again because I can't get enough of Pinteresting Wednesdays!

Work It Girl

2011-10-11T13:57:00.000-04:00

For the majority of my life I was blessed with a seemingly quick metabolism and a love of working out-great combo. Then I turned 26, got a new job where I was walking less and driving more and began working in an industry where eating and drinking went along with the job description. Uhoh-not good. Very quickly I realized that things had gotten out of control and two years later I'm working to regain control of the this body I'm living in. I reached my breaking point when I looked in the mirror and was like "who the heck is that?????"

Now grant it, I'll admit, this new body is not super different from my old one and while wearing most clothes you can't really tell. But I can tell and I can FEEL it. And that's the worst. The absolute pitts. I hate being uncomfortable in my clothes and thus-it's time for a transformation.

I've decided to start running 4 times a week. Actual running, not just going out for a casual twenty minute jog. I'm also becoming more careful about what I eat. I love food and I love trying new things and going out to eat. Well, it's time to find healthy food that I love instead of not really paying attention. This should be an adventure.....

Could this work???

I will look like this one day....right??

One day....

I'm willing to try anything

Wise Words in Unexpected Places

2011-10-10T12:22:00.000-04:00

I recently came across this quote and immediately fell in love with it. I was actually pretty surprised to find out it was from Bob Marley and I think it made it a little bit more fun because he said it!

Das Boot

2011-10-08T09:59:00.000-04:00

Today is CM's family's annual Oktoberfest party. Now, I'm 100% Irish and very proud of that fact but every year, in the beginning of October I get REALLY excited for this party. Everyone has a blast drinking really dark beer, eating German food and enjoying each other's company. This year, there's talk that CM's sister might bring his 1 yr old nephew in lederhosen-the poor kid! It's bound to be beyond adorable :)

I baked pumpkin chocolate chip cookies for the party and they turned out pretty delicious if I do say so myself! (obviously I found the recipe on Pintrest!)

Typically, we all gather around the TV to watch the Yankee's in the playoffs but considering they went and got themselves eliminated on Thursday night we won't be doing that. Oh well, the weather is supposed to be amazing so I bet you'll find me on the deck!

Playing Dress Up

2011-10-07T11:32:00.000-04:00

A few months ago I used Rent the Runway for a wedding I had to go to. At first, I'll be honest, I was a little skeeved out about "renting" a dress but my sister and a friend of mine did it and said they were clean and that they both had a great experience. So I gave it a try and found that they were right! I haven't used them since but I'm sure I will again at some point.

Dance Party

Today, when I opened up my e-mail I saw something great from Rent the Runway. They were having a giveaway. Not only were they having a giveaway-this giveaway included a pair of LOUBOUTINS. And judging by the e-mail it's the sparkly pair that I have been drooling over f-o-r-e-v-e-r. I have all of my fingers and toes crossed that by some miracle I win!

Have you ever rented the runway?

Where Have You Been All My Life??

2011-10-06T12:01:00.000-04:00

I mentioned last week that I was in Las Vegas for our National Sales Meeting. While we were there, our Skinny Girl booth enlisted the help of Dry Bar to give anyone who wanted one a "skinny girl ponytail". Well sign me up! I love getting my hair done and sipping a skinny girl cocktail while doing so makes it even more fun! The girls who were working the booth from Dry Bar were fantastic and it was such a fun idea to get your hair done to look like the Skinny Girl logo

Here I am with my skinny girl poofy ponytail

Don't mind the shininess of my face....it was extremely hot and I found out when I got home that I had strep throat which was awesome.....

They just opened a Dry Bar in NYC which I'm extremely excited about. Their "menu" is super cute with different blow outs, all for $40, named after cocktails. There's the Straight Up, Mai Tai, Southern Comfort, Cosmopolitan, Manhattan and for little girls the Shirley Temple. They also do parties, with real cocktails, if you want to bring in a group for girls night. I was given a gift certificate while in Vegas for one free blow out and I can't wait to use it when CM takes me into the city for a weekend in November!

Sparkly Pinteresting Wednesday

2011-10-05T08:09:00.001-04:00

I'm linking up with Michelle at The Vintage Apple again this week for Pinteresting Wednesdays. I'm all about sparkle this week!

Mantra of the Week

2011-10-04T08:54:00.003-04:00

Time Out

2011-10-03T11:58:00.000-04:00

This weekend CM and I decided that we needed a break. We have both been going nonstop lately and thought that the first weekend of October would be the perfect time to just take a time out. Saturday we went to dinner at one of our favorite places for a great burger-Croxley's Ale House. Not only do they have great wings and burgers but they boast one of the best craft beer selections around. The weather was finally cool enough to have some festive fall beers. I tried the DogFish Head Pangea and 21st Amendment Back in Black. I didn't love the Dogfish head although once it opened up it was nice. The Back in Black went great with my dinner and was a delicious fall beer.
We then headed over to the Garden City Hotel for a cocktail and to watch the Yankee/Tigers game. The Garden City Hotel is a hidden treasure. The hotel has been around for years and it used to be the place to be seen. In the past 10 years or so people seem to go there less and less but the hotel and the bar are still a wonderful place to go and enjoy yourself.

Sunday was a lazy day of sports. I love football season and this past Sunday was a great day for my Giants! It was touch and go but in the 4th quarter we pulled ahead and beat the Cardinals 31 to 27. CM and I had a great time watching the game together and enjoying a bottle of Brooklyn Brewery's Sorachi Ace. Sadly, the Yankees couldn't pull out another win so tonight's a big night for us in Detroit!

All in all it was a great weekend to recharge and catch up and enjoy CM's company. It's nice to be able to unwind and do nothing sometimes!