Fall Beauty 101

Back in July, I did a little post about summer makeup. Now that the weather is starting to cool off (even if it has been VERY fickle), I thought it was probably time to switch it up for fall! Time to pack up my shimmer brick (except for special occasions) and go for a more matte look!

First of all, it is SUPER important to moisturize in the cold weather. I am talking eye cream and moisturizer morning and night. Not only will  your skin feel a lot better, but you will get a head start in the fight against wrinkles! All of my favorite products are from Origins, but I swear by these two in particular:

GinZing Eye Cream
$29.50

 I put this on every morning before my makeup - helps with those black circles and the puffiness. If you use an under-eye concealer, you can blend it with that, or just apply directly!
 Tip: Keep this in the fridge - the coolness will really help de-puff your eyes in the morning!

A Perfect World Moisturizer
$39.50

 This stuff is great for morning and night! Put it on before your makeup, and wait till its dry to apply your foundation.
Tip: If you aren't into foundation, or are going for a more natural look, wait until it is "dewey," not dry, and then swirl on your powder. It will help it last longer!

Now, on to the fun stuff!

My favorite new tool is on the Bobbi Brown website: Pretty Powerful Looks. It basically shows you a bunch of makeup "looks" on a bunch of different women, and shows you exactly how to replicate them.

While buying makeup online can be a little scary sometimes, this is the way to go if you are going to do it! Plus, if you buy from Nordstrom, you get free shipping and returns.

 This time, I went with the "Victoria." I got the eyeshadow (Bone and Slate) and gel eyeliner - I'm sticking with my MAC powder & blush- which I would highly recommend!

 (Fun fact: Kate Middleton wore Slate eyeshadow on her wedding day!)

Now it's your turn to pick out your new look for the fall!

Fat Free Hummus

I have a confession to make...

A few weeks ago, while trapped at the lakehouse on a rainy morning, my ENTIRE family got sucked into one of those Magic Bullet Infomercials for about an hour.

Naturally, I went straight home and ordered my own. Yes, I purchased something because of the infomercial. I am that person.

I have been blending up a storm lately, and thought I would share one of my fav recipes with you...Fat Free Hummus! As promised a few weeks ago...

(Don't you love my classy presentation??)

 

Ingredients:

• 1 can Garbanzo Beans, drained
• 1 tsp. Lemon Juice
• 1 Tbsp. Chicken Broth
• 2 tsp. Garlic, minced
• Paprika, to taste
• Salt & Pepper, to taste

Combine all of the ingredients in a blender (or your own Bullet) until smooth and well blended. Adjust texture with the broth, and taste with the seasonings. Serve with veggies or pita chips.

Enjoy!!

Also thought you would enjoy this one of Mama D & I supporting OU while they beat TU this past weekend (on the one day of the year I actually support her team)! Testing out some of the new lakehouse furniture we got in Round Top (ain't it just so stinkin cute??)



Pumpkin Coffee Cake

Let the pumpkin recipes begin!

My sister is totally the baker of the family. Not only does she have that natural baker's skill, but she has one of those wonderful Kitchenaid stand mixers. I have neither.

However, this recipe was a winner. Just as the 7 other people in my office that devoured the whole thing in a day! So, without futher ado, Pumpkin Coffee Cake!



Ingredients:

For the Topping:

• 1/4 cup Brown Sugar
• 1/4 cup Sugar
• 1/2 tsp. Cinnamon
• 2 Tbsp. butter, softened
• 1/2 cup Pecans, crumbled

For the Cake:

• 1/2 cup Butter, softened
• 1 cup Sugar
• 2 Eggs
• 1 15-oz. can Pure Pumpkin
• 1 tsp. Vanilla
• 2 cups All-Purpose Flour
• 1 tsp. Baking Soda
• 1 tsp. Baking Powder
• 1/2 tsp. Pumpkin Pie Spice
• 1/4 tsp. Salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

In a small bowl, combine the sugars and cinnamon for the topping. Cut in the butter until the mixture resembles course crumbs. Stir in the pecans, and set aside.

In a mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add pumpkin, vanilla, and dry ingredients, and mix until well blended.

Spread the batter in a greased and floured 9x13 pan and sprinkle with the topping.

Bake for 40 minutes and enjoy!!

Falling into Autumn!

 

It's that awkward time between summer and winter that we all love, where it's way too early for the Christmas decor, but too late for summer stuff.

 You know what that means??

PUMPKINS!

I went to Central Market last night and spent wayyy too much on pumpkins, pumpkin spice, pumpkin puree, cinnamon sticks, and all the fall necessities!

I also got an excuse to set out my absolute favorite kitchen soap and lotion set from Williams-Sonoma.

Williams-Sonoma Essential Oils Collection
$39.95

Seriously guys...this stuff is the BEST for fall/winter! It may seem a little pricey, but it lasts a while (I still have a bunch leftover from last year)!



This also means that I am officially on the lookout for some great pumpkin recipes! So stay tuned for some fall-inspired recipes soon!

"Anything Goes" Orzo

Last night was one of those nights that I really had no idea what I wanted for dinner, so I just threw a bunch of stuff together to see what happened.

Turns out it was AWESOME!

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup Orzo pasta, uncooked
• 3 strips Bacon, cooked & crumbled
• 1 boneless, skinless chicken breast, cooked & shredded (my method below)
• 1/4 cup Goat Cheese, crumbled
• 1 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1-2 handfuls Baby Spinach
• Salt & Pepper, to taste

Directions:

Cook the orzo according to package directions. Drain and immediately return to the hot pot. Throw in the spinach, as much as you want, and stir it until it wilts down. This stuff seriously wilts down, so don't be afraid to use a couple handfuls. Don't believe me?

After the spinach is wilted a bit, add the EVOO, bacon, chicken, goat cheese, and salt/pepper. Adjust the ingredients to your liking. I paired it with a yummy Chardonnay, but a good Pinot Noir would be great too!

This makes about 2 servings, so just multiply everything if you need more!



For the Chicken:

Wash and butterfly the chicken breast (if you are planning on grilling the chicken, butterflying is not necessary).Butterflying the breast (cutting it in half, sandwhich-style) makes it much easier to cook it on the stovetop.  I rubbed a little EVOO, kosher salt, and my favorite seasonings onto both sides of the raw chicken, and sauteed in a bit of the bacon drippings until it was cooked through. You can also grill it (I just don't have a grill!). After it was done, I pulled apart the chicken with a fork, so it looked like this:

My fav chicken seasoning is actually from a 4-pack of bread dip seasonings I found at Central Market I LOVE the Tuscany Blend for chicken...

Enjoy!



Round Top!

Whew! What a busy weekend!! I am still recovering from the fabulous time we all had!

I'll share all of our good finds with you later on, but for now, here is a pretty good summary of what went down this weekend!!

Day #1

We didn't get in town until about 8:30 PM, so Delynn, Mama D and I all settled in to our precious little B&B for a nice relaxing night. It was only the three of us on this night, so we took advantage of all the space we had and celebrated with a little picnic (homemade hummus recipe coming  soon)!

(Sidenote- see the classy white cooler in the background? We definitely burned the bottom of it on the stove last time we were in town! We avoided any kitchen disasters this time by staying in the B&B!)

Day #2

Rise and shine! We got up early and had a fabulous homemade breakfast at the B&B, then headed straight out to the fields!

We didn't have a whole lot of time on this trip, so we focused our time on just a few really good shows: La Bohia, Texas Rose and Warrenton!

Here is an idea of what everything looks like in there - rows and rows of tents set up with treasures!

Here is a close up of a booth in Texas Rose-- TONS of treasures to sort through!

When I say Round Top has everything, I mean it. Found this little dandy in Warrenton. Sadly, I totally remember this jar of FAKE FINGERS from the spring show! Who would ever need that??

This is where chairs go to die. Saw this at a random European market on the side of the road. Suprisingly, Delynn got some fabulous lighting fixtures at the same place! 

And here is Delynn getting interviewed by Emily Henderson for her show on HGTV! We all got interviewed on our little girls trip, and why Round Top is sooo addictive!

Then they made us unload both of our cars (which we had JUST packed up), and load it back up for the cameras! I am really hoping they don't show us in all of our sweaty glory (it was 105 outside) on the show!

Finally, after a long day, we followed Round Top tradition and headed over to Royers for a fabulous dinner!! From the left: Beth, Alyssa, Debby, Delynn, Mama D & myself)

Day #3

Moving a little slower this morning after the great time on Saturday night, but we eventually got up and moving! Made a few quick stops along the road, loaded everything up, and headed home!

We went down to Round Top in a tahoe, suburban, and jeep, going along our principal of underestimating on the car space to get the good stuff. We ended up having to trade the jeep for Beth's son's pickup, and renting a uhaul as well!

Overall, a great girls' weekend with some great junk!!



Love Dip (tell me you love me)

Everyone LOVES Central Market's famous (or infamous) Love Dip.

It's pink, it's delicious, and it's horribly addictive!

Well, my friends, here is the recipe! Super easy to make, and goes well with veggies, chips, pita bread...you name it!

Ingredients:

• 1 12-oz container Whipped Cream Cheese
• 1 cup Vine Ripened Cluster Tomatoes, chopped
• 1 Tbsp Fresh Garlic, minced
• 1 tsp Tomato Paste
• 1/4 tsp Kosher Salt
• 1/8 tsp Fresh Tarragon, chopped
• 1 Tbsp Fresh Cilantro, chopped
• Fresh Lemon Juice, to taste
• Cayenne Pepper, to taste
• White Pepper, to taste

Directions:

Add cream cheese, chopped tomatoes, garlic, tomato paste and lemon juice to food processor, and process until smooth and creamy. Fold in remaining ingredients and mix well.

Enjoy!!

In other news, we are off to Round Top this weekend, so stay tuned for some junk updates next week!  

Today's Pinspiration: Doors

No longer are doors just for entering and exiting my friends...although a cute painted door is always fun!

On the outside...

Or on the inside!

But you can use old doors for sooooo much more than that!

As a headboard...

As wall decor, instead of a painting or tapestry...

Or even beside the bed!

Get creative with these!! One person's trash is another one's treasure!

Have you seen any good doors lately?









Need more closet space?

I, like so many before me, am truly challenged when it comes to closet space. I already have three of those vacuum bags stuffed with my winter clothes under my bed, and it seems that my closet it still way too stuffy!

Recently, Mama D has given me one of my favorite gifts ever: space saving hangers!

$38.20
Amazon

She found them at Costco, but for you non-members, they have them at Amazon as well! Also, they have a non-slip grip, so you can hang your tank tops on there with no worries!

See - look how neat and uniform everything is now! Plus - look how many hangers fit on there!!

Here you can see a little comparison of before and after - on the left are the old hangers, and on the right are the new. Look how many more fit with the new ones!

Seriously guys - I highly recommend trying out a box (or two...) of these! I can sleep a little better tonight knowing my closet is getting closer to something resembling organization!

Junkie Announcement!!

I have some exciting news for all of you junkies in the Dallas area! My good friends from The Lane and For the Love of Old have teamed up and opened a new booth at the White Elephant!!

See how cute it is?! Definitely worth a trip (or five)! Sooo stop by and check it out next time the junk starts calling your name...you surely won't regret it!!

They are vendor #1959, and the booth is straight down the isle from the cash register - last one on the right!

Ritz Chicken

As a child, I specifically remember eating certain recipes at one of my friend's houses. Luckily, her mom gave my mom said recipes, and we got to eat them in the Daniel household! Unluckily, they were lost in the mix years ago, and I have only had the memory of some of my favorite dishes for years now :(

Recently, a lovely thing called Pinterest has become a slight obsession of mine, and I was finally reunited with my favorite recipes!!

So, without further ado, I introduce you to Ritz Chicken.

This stuff is super easy to make,and is an instant crowd pleaser! Trust me...your hubby, boyfriend, friend, sibling, child (or whoever else you cook for) is going to love you for this one! (Not sure why, but the iPhone made this pic look dark in the center...I promise it wasn't though!!)

Ingredients:

- 1 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast (two halves - around a pound)

- 1 can Campbell's Cream of Chicken Soup (I got the Healthy Request kind)

- 1 8 oz container of Sour Cream (I went with low-fat)

- 1 tube Ritz Crackers

- 1 stick Butter (I went with light) or Spray Butter

Directions:

Pre-heat the oven th 350 degrees and spray an 8x8 baking dish with non-stick spray.

Cook the chicken in a pan until edges are golden brown, and chicken is cooked through. Once chicken is cooked, remove from heat and tear into small pieces to give it the "pulled chicken" effect (you can also dice it into cubes, if you prefer).

In a mixing bowl, combine cooked chicken, sour cream and condensed soup. Mix until it is thoroughly combined, and spread in the baking dish.

Crush the Ritz crackers (easier to do this while they are still wrapped up), and sprinkle them over the top of the mixture. Melt the butter (or use spray butter), and sprinkle it over the crackers. Bake for 30 minutes and enjoy!

This one can be served over rice, or a la carte!

Nifty Gifties

Did you friend just get engaged? Do you have a shower coming up with no registries? Need a birthday gift idea?

Look no further, my friends! Here is a small list of some great gift ideas for all different budgets!

From Me & Re Design:

Cute monogrammed cups! 

This is PERFECT to give to a couple! My parents received something similar a few years ago, and we still use them today! They have a bunch of colors and designs to choose from.

From Swoozie's: 

Serving Tray - $54

This is good for any kind of gift! Comes in multiple colors, and you can put names OR initials on these!

Monogrammed Wood Wine Stopper
$16.00

Fun for a newly engaged or married couple (or even a single friend - I know I would like this!) Put together a little wine night basket! A great bottle, cute stopper, etc!

From Shutterfly:

Custom Photo Book
Prices Range

Make a photo book of memories, or a recipe book for a new bride! I recently made one of these with recipes from everyone invited to the bachelorette party - each girl had at least 2 pages (facing eachother) dedicated to their recipe and pictures of them with the bride. Keep track of the coupon codes via email and their website - I used 3 codes to bring my price down from $60 to $30 for a 20-page hard-cover book.

From the Left Handed Calligrapher:

Custom Calligraphy Address Stamp
$48.00

Super cute idea for a new couple or a housewarming gift! Check out a great review of these here! 

Enjoy!

The Lake Lamp

As I may have mentioned, we LOVE to go out to the lake on the weekends! We were blessed with a little bit of land, so not only do we go out on the water, but we shoot guns, play croquet, and ride around on a silly golf cart.

We are CLASSY on weekends!

Anyways, this past weekend, we had some family friends out to join us! So in summary, we had my parents, the Crook's, their 4 kids, my brother, his friend, and myself. Talk about a party (and a few intense croquet games)!

Naturally, the boys (all five of them) piled themselves into the golf cart with guns to do who knows what. Unlike normal people who shoot at targets or cans, they bring along an old tin pot...the kind you cook in. What remained of it sat in the yard until the dads decided it was time to throw it away...

Being the junkie I am, I suggested we do something with it. It could maybe make a cool flower arrangement or something...but I never heard about it again...until I got this picture from my mom earlier this week:

Turns out, the Crook's took it home and made this fabulous looking lamp!! Kind of has a good rustic edge to it...doesn't it? (P.S. - love the easy mac in the background...the Crook's are my kind of people!)

I just love finding other junkies out there!! Have any other stories like this one? Share please!!

Today's Pinspiration: Plates

My friends, I bring to you one of my favorite decorating secrets: PLATES!

You can use plates to fancy up any room in your house, not just the kitchen!



Get creative - they don't have to be hung an any specific order...

They don't even need to make a specific shape...

Use white plates to go for more of a classic cottage look

Or colored ones for more of a shabby look

Seriously friends - time to start your plate collection now! It can take months to get the perfect bunch ready to be wall-worthy.

TIP: Hang them in odd numbers! One of the many things you learn when your mom is a fabulous interior decorator (seriously - you can't get much better at decorating than Mama D).

Want to know a secret? These things are EVERYWHERE in the fields of Round Top! People just have piles of plates waiting for you to pick through. 

And just in case you didn't already know...the Round Top Antique Show will be going on Saturday 9/17 through Sunday 10/2...meaning you have about a month to get your trip planned!









A Cookbook with a Cause!

Good morning dear friends! This morning, a post on my Google Reader (if you don't have one, get one) changed my plans for my blogpost today! Sooo be prepared for some "Pinspiration" tomorrow! On to the good stuff...

Head on over to Centsational Girl's blog today to check out this new cookbook that was just released:

This little dandy comes in PDF and hard copy, and costs only $10 (plus shipping if you buy the hard back book). All proceeds of this go straight to the Red Cross. Plus all of the recipes look DELICIOUS! 

I have already purchased TWO of them...no word yet on who the recipient of my extra copy will be...

The ordering process is a little tricky, but persevere my junkies, and you will be rewarded!

Enjoy!



Wine Glasses 101

While thumbing through this month's Traditional Home Magazine (yes, I do subscribe to that), I ran across this handy little article: In Grape Shape, which was an interview with Georg Riedel, who owns the glass company, Riedel Glas Austria. . Basically, our new friend Georg ran us through the different kinds of wine glasses, and why they are used for specific wines.

Being a self-proclaimed "wine-enthusiast" myself, I thought it may be fun to share some of these little factoids with you, in hopes that you will enjoy it as much as I did! If anything, you can now impress your dinner/cocktail hour guests with some of this knowledge. Prepare to take your intimidating factor up a bit!

Cabernet Sauvignon:

Merlot:

Pinot Noir:



Chardonnay:

Pinot Grigio:

Sauvignon Blanc:

Red Wines:

The large bowl shape offers a wider mouth, and more exposure to the air. Larger bowls are particularly good for the more complex reds like Pinot Noir. FYI - the larger bowls have the most surface exposure to the air (aeration is VERY important for red wine). The narrowing "tulip" tips allow for you to swirl your wine like a pro while not spilling a bit!

The narrower glasses, like those for Merlot and Cab direct the scent straight to the nose.

White Wines:

It is not as important to aerate white wine. For this reason, most white wine glasses have a narrower bowl. The only exception for this is Chardonnay, which is typically more robust than other lighter whites. The "oaky" Chards call for the larger bowls, while the lighter, "non-oaked" ones are good in the narrower glasses. 

Now go forth and host a wine party with your new knowledge! Don't forget to invite me :)