A hike thru Wood Canyon

On Saturday Gary & hiked 8 miles through Wood Canyon. It's a huge (like almost 4,000 acres huge) nature preserve pretty close to our house. It was the perfect day for it too. Clear skies and cool.

The area has so many trails, both paved and dirt. There's a creek and even caves. That was our destination for this particular hike - Dripping Cave.

Here's an ancient carving from the Pantera tribe. haha. Not really. I wonder what people will think of this 1,000 years from now.

The Dripping Cave was rather dry. Perhaps it will drip after rainfall, which according to the incoming clouds would be soon.

We also made a stop at Cave Rock. I've always been fascinated by caves & sediment.

Cave Rock

It was a beautiful hike & a great workout. We're hoping to make this a regular weekend thing.

DIY wreath

Wreaths seem to be abundant this year, so I thought I'd craft my own. I wanted to create something minimalist and dainty as opposed to the more traditional fuller ones. I had most of the supplies already, but did involve purchasing a wreath frame ($2) and glittery holiday trim ($1.50).

Supplies:
fabric scissors
wire cutters

twigs or grapevine
white felt
twine
white raffia
floral wire
white spray paint
spray primer
wreath frame
festive glittery trim

Instructions:

1. Prime and paint the wreath frame.

2. Using your scissors, cut leaf shapes out of the felt.

3. Using your wire cutters, cut pieces of the floral wire. Keep them longish. It will be easier to work with and you can always trim them later. Thread the 3 felt leaves through each wire piece, then twist.

4. Secure the glittery trim to the wreath frame using more floral wire.

5. Arrange twigs/grapevine, felt leaves, etc until you achieve desired look.

Giving thanks

Did you have a good Thanksgiving? Did you have to travel far to see loved ones?

Gary & I are fortunate enough to have our families living in close by. We stopped at his parent's house for a bit before we ventured on over to my parent's house. My mom already had the house decorated for Christmas. Per usual everything looked and tasted AMAZING.

There is much to be thankful for this year. And although I'm still unemployed, I am thankful that my parents are doing well, that I have people in my life that I love so dearly. Thursday was also my brother's 24th birthday AND he & his girlfriend just announced that they're engaged! So happy for them. We took some time out to snap a family photo this year...

my cousin & aunt

After dinner we played Mario Kart on Wii, sang Happy Birthday & feasted on three (yes 3) decadent desserts. Today I am thankful for...exercise! haha. Have a great weekend :)

Favorite things: Black Friday picks

I make a point not to get wrapped up in today's shopping hysteria. My stress-free secret? Shop on the Wednesday before Black Friday or shop online. Most stores offer the same deals. Even if there's something that's been on your wishlist, a lot of online retailers are offering free shipping right now. Gotta love that. Here's a couple of things I've had my eye on that just went on sale. 

1. Crosley vintage radio - West Elm; special $69
2. Stainless steel bendy straws - West Elm; special $12 for 4
3. Camera pencil sharpener - Z Gallerie; $14 (get 20% off right now. Enter code THANK20)
4. F. Scott Fitzgerald Penguin Classics - Available on Amazon UK
5. Nantucket cable knit throw - Z Gallerie; $69 (get 20% off right now. Enter code THANK20)
6. Metallic blend ankle socks - Forever 21; $4.80 (stock up sale)

Style Parade 11.23.10

Finally some real fall weather. I dug out all my winter knits and found some real forgotten treasures. I knotted this grandma shawl (that's what my husband calls it) layered over this cozy gray sweater, paired with gray corduroy pants. I think I need to shrink these pants. Now that I'm looking at them, they look a tad too baggy in the legs. Nothing a dryer won't fix. It's funny how you can stare at yourself in the mirror, but don't notice those little things until you see them in a photograph.

I rescued these shoes from my donation pile, but upon second evaluation I realize why I put them there in the first place. They are absolute murder on my poor feet. It's too bad because they're so cute.

Sweater: Old Navy. Shawl: Forever 21. Cords: St. John's $18. Shoes: Target. Bag: Forever 21

Crafty Bitch Party > Eat & Drink

I started us off with Brandy Alexander cocktails. It's rich & creamy, perfect for the holiday season. To make, mix equal parts of brandy, creme de cocoa (chocolate liqueur), half & half. Shake with ice in cocktail shaker & sprinkle with cinnamon.

Crab & chive puffs. I followed the recipe in Real Simple's December issue. Very easy to make. I halved the recipe, which yielded about 20 puffs.

Make it: Mix 2oz softened cream cheese with 1/2 cup shredded crab, 1/4 cup mayo, 1 tsp lemon juice, 1 tbsn sliced chives & black pepper. Unfold defrosted puff pastry sheet & use a 2" cookie cutter. Apply a spoonful of the crab/cheese mixture to each circle. Bake 15 minutes at 400 degrees.

Goat cheese with cabernet jelly & almonds. I've served this with brie as well.

When entertaining it's important to serve food that's impressive & can be made ahead so you don't spend all day in the kitchen. I opted for this savory bread pudding. I modified this from a breakfast strata recipe I had.

Ingredients

1 onion, diced

3 cups mushrooms (baby bella, portobello or crimini)

3 stalks celery, sliced

1 teaspoon crushed garlic

5 sprigs of fresh thyme (remove stems)

black pepper

2 1/2 cups half & half

4 eggs

5 slices white or potato bread

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1. Cook celery, onion, mushrooms & garlic in deep pan until tender - about 5 minutes

2. Meanwhile layer bread in a greased 13x9 casserole dish. I like to trim the crusts so everything fits nice & proportional.

3. Poor cooked veggies over bread layer. Distribute evenly.

4. Beat together eggs, half & half, pepper & thyme. Poor over veggies/bread.

5. Top with cheese.

6. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes before serving.

After the meal I opted for a cocktail that I could premix to avoid having to constantly make more drinks. I quartered another recipe from Real Simple - The spiked apple cocktail. This made 1 batch, or 8 servings. To make: 1 bottle Prosecco (sparkling wine), 1 cup apple juice, 1/3 cup Goldschlager (cinnamon schnapps).

Crafty Bitch Party > Ambiance

Party invite, designed by me.

Over the weekend I kicked off the holiday season by inviting some girlfriends over for crafts & cocktails. I'll be posting details on the food & drinks a little later, but first some gorgeous tablescape details...

When creating a tablescape I like to work with eclectic layers. It's about balance, which doesn't always equal perfect symmetry. Working off neutral colors - rich brown, cream & kraft paper mixed with more traditional colors of red & green. I must say that kraft paper is my new favorite table cover. It's so easy & you just toss when your done.

These gorgeous plates are from West Elm (which just went on sale by the way). I made these simple little placecards from gilded pinecones.

More party details coming up!

Friday

Little scenes from my day.

I spent all morning trimming the tree & listening to Charlie Brown Christmas. I'm doing some holiday entertaining for my gal pals tomorrow. Instead of Autumn Tea this year, I'm hosting a Crafty Bitch Party. Crafts & Cocktails - what's not to love? Anyway, thanks so much all you awesome people for voting on my holiday outfits. It's really helping me narrow it down!

I have so much to share next week, so until then have a wonderful weekend y'all.

Holiday party looks

As I mentioned earlier, my husband's holiday work party is coming up and I just can't decide what to wear. If you recall this was what I wore last year. Anyway, I've put together what I deem as 3 perfect party looks. I'd love some feedback to help me decide!

Classic. Elegant. Chic. The traditional little black dress. This dress has the most beautiful lace detail. Paired with some animal print heels, lace gloves, faux fur wrap & feather fascinator.

Fun & Flirty. The Modern Flapper. This is actually a tunic that I layered with a skirt. Honestly I think I feel the most comfortable in this look, but it's also the most dressed down. I could see myself wearing this on a night out, which sort of eliminates the whole excitement of getting to wear a fancy cocktail dress once a year.  

Festive. The Retro Party Girl. Who doesn't like a skirt you can twirl in? While I think this look is fantastic and yields a great excuse to sport a fabulous vintage hat, I am a little hesitant about the fact that it's sleeveless. You see we're also taking portrait-style photos with my husband's family right before the party. Although everyone will be dressed nice, this might make me look a little out of place. Although I could always bring a black cardigan & lose the hat just for the photo.

What do you think? Help me out & vote for your favorite look!

Style Parade 11.17.10

Taking outfit photos with the new camera is tricky. I'm still getting the hang of it, but really the challenge is having a subject for the lens to set focus on while I'm not in frame. Anyway, this is my version of the jeans & t-shirt day. I've had this briefcase bag forever. I remember I took it on my first post-college job interview.

I've been really into faux fur stoles & wraps lately. So soft, cuddly and glamorous! I'm thinking of wearing one to my husband's corporate holiday party this year.

Bow tee: Gap. Jeans: Gap. Heels: Candies for Kohl's. Fur wrap collar: Forever 21; $10. Briefcase bag: Nordstrom Rack.

The black & white tree

Is anyone else as excited as I am to decorate for Christmas this year? I'm waiting a bit longer to put up the big tree, but I thought since I spend so much time in my office that I'd bring a little holiday cheer to the space. Last year I was totally swooning over Emily's gorgeous black & white tree, so when I saw this little darling white tree at Target for $8 I grabbed it. When it comes to ornaments & trimmings and such there really isn't a whole lot in terms of black. I used this as an opportunity to get creative (and inexpensively) craft my own ornaments. Ahhh, wedding craft leftovers do it again...

These little paper birds were leftover from the wedding favors. I attached them with thin floral wire to make them look like they're flying.

The mini tree skirt took all of 2 minutes to make from some leftover fabric. The other trimmings are made from black felt, ribbons, feathers, tulle and leftover wedding bouquet pieces. I topped with a little wood shape of the Eiffel Tower. Très chic! And here's the tree at night for the full effect...

Have you started decorating for the holidays yet? It seems like it gets earlier every year! Anyone working on crafty projects? Post your link. I'd love to see what y'all are working on these days.

P.S. - These were all shot with my new Canon Rebel XSi! I figured this would be a perfect way to test it out. It's always a challenge to get good crisp photos in low lighting situations and it performed beautifully.