Blessed To Give

The other day I was all, I am so on top of Christmas this year! I only have to do this one thing and then I'll be ready! Oh, and this thing. And also this thing. And I forgot about this thing. And next thing you know I had a list of "things" the length of my arm and I wasn't so on top of Christmas after all.

If you are having the same sort of trouble, here are some things that might help.

For one, our friends over at Have A Cute Day have put together a few gift guides, including this vintage gift guide.

And if you are thinking of staying up every night between now and Christmas to finish lovely handmade gifts, maybe this array of already-made handmade gifts over at the Nie Nie Dialogues will convince you to buy some instead. (You can totally still tell people you made them. We won't tattle.)

For those of us who prefer straight up consumerism, complete with adorable gift wrapping, Anthropologie is offering an additional 25% off sale items, both online and in stores. Plus free shipping on orders of $150 or more. Might as well get some gifts for yourself, too, right?

For those of you who believe that the best gifts come from the kitchen (as well as the heart), I offer a delicious recipe for homemade caramels. I am not a domestic goddess by the stretch of anyone's imagination and I managed to pull these off.

2 cups light corn syrup
1 14oz. can sweetened condensed milk
1 1/2 cup milk (whole)
1 cup whipping cream
1 cup butter
4 cups sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla

Butter a 9X13 inch pan. Stir all ingredients over medium heat until it boils, use a wooden spoon and a big stock pot. If you notice crystals forming on the edge of the caramel, wash it down with a wet pastry brush. Clip on a candy thermometer and stir until 240 degrees/soft ball stage. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla and pour without scraping into your buttered pan. Don't scrape the edges of the pot! Or, if you must, scrape the pot into a bowl so you don't crystalize your whole batch. Allow to sit for 24 hours and cut into 1 inch cubes, wrap in wax paper or caramel wrappers.

I recommend making caramels with another person who will share the work of stirring the pot for an hour non-stop, but who won't mind when you tell people that you made the caramels all by yourself.

Feeling more prepared? I hope so. As for me, I just have one more thing on my list. For real this time.

Holiday Cheer, Holiday Style

Here are a few more tips for enjoying the holiday season in style, whether you're headed to an office party or window-shopping along Fifth Avenue. Thanks to our good friend Sarah Seilbach Brasher from Edelweiss by Sarah for the hook-up!





Oh, the office party. No one knows what to wear or what to say.
Featured in our office party (from left to right): Forbidden City in Smoke, Shanghai in Plum, The Last Empress in Black Cherry.





There is nothing like walking out on the city streets, looking at the
lights and heading for a cozy, warm cafe. Featured in our city walk:
The
Mandarin in Raven with Black Cherry. Also Seen- The Sabbath Chain (worn as a necklace on her and used for a
wallet on him)





The window displays on 5th Avenue are to die for. This is the time of
year for shopping and chatting with good friends. Featured on our
holiday shoppers: Crouching Tiger in Smoke with Plum and The Mandarin Plum in Plum with Smoke.





Happy Holidays from us to you!

Back In {Little} Black

Holiday party wardrobe woes got you down? Never fear! Here are some tips that will save you money without scrimping on style.

Casey and Natalie are the founders of Buttoned Up, an NYC-based style consulting company that believes everyone can have great style, no matter their size, shape, or budget.

Holiday parties are aplenty this time of year, but who can really afford to buy a new outfit for each one? Adding a glitter belt, statement necklace, shimmery tights, or other fun accessories is a great, inexpensive way to make your little black dress shine and look brand new with each wear.

Here are some fabulous accessories under $100 to glam up your LBD:

[Belt: J. Crew; Tights: Kate Spade; Gold Necklace: Anthropologie; Jingle Bell Ring: Kate Spade; Clutch: BCBG; Shoes: Steve Madden; Multicolored Necklace: Hive & Honey; Lace Vest: Anthropologie]

Happy accessorizing and happy holidays!

Say Cheese

My family has never been the type to take an annual (or every five years, or even every decade) family photo, but from what I hear it can be a rather unsettling experience. I mean, if that thing is going out with your Christmas cards you want it to be a winner (turns out my family doesn't send Christmas cards either. Pattern?) but there are enough potential pitfalls to make the head spin.

Luckily, Miss Reachel Bagley from Cardigan Empire is here to help! Read on for her tips on dressing your loved ones for the dreaded family photo. We can't help you if you always have your eyes closed and/or a double chin in photos (just me?), but at least your clothes will look good.



Dressing for a Family Photo

The family photo: an opportunity to squirrel away a flitting twinkle in time with your dear ones. However, the more individuals (particularly infantile individuals) in a lens's frame, the greater the chance of ocular rivalry. Fear not, your family photo can be a momentous memorialization by applying the following fashion tips.

1. Fleshy Magnets
The most important feature of a family photograph is the faces. Faces are quite useful at identifying individuals, and although Aunt Agatha’s tricep may sport unmistakable definition, it should not be placed in competition with Uncle Alfred’s countenance. Flesh is an eye magnet, so use is judiciously. Allow the cranial handful of inches squared to shine by opting for concealment over exposure.

2. Soothing Solids
Patterns regularly practice spotlight thievery. Just when your rosy cheeks are ready to shine, your fluorescent brocade bares its brilliance stealing the shutter’s concentration. Squelch the focus filching by opting for unassuming solids. Solids are natural supporting actors, allowing your visage to take the lead. Follow the same rule when selecting accessories: leave statement chandelier bobbles and bold bib neck drippings in your top drawer in favor of a quieter compilation.

If you choose to advance your family portrait into the realm of pattern, choose supporting ornamentations. Select simple patterns like small florals, pinstripes, and polka-dots. You and your dear ones are the photographic Prima Donnas so don’t surrender the spotlight to a bright ikat.

Also consider the placement of patterns. One pattern is all one family member should likely sustain. If possible, refuse your patterns immediate contact. Solids provide critical visual rest for your family assembly.

3. Color Unity
There’s a reason why sports teams dress in matching outfits: it makes it easy to identify confederate members. Families preparing for photography should follow suit; although not quite literally. Clothing doesn’t need to (probably shouldn’t) match exactly, but it should blend. Individual garments ought to share similarities in hue (color), value (light/dark), and/or chroma (pure/weak). A palette of ocean blues (similar hue), bold primary colors (similar value), or ashy pastels (similar chroma) would place each family member on equal color footing. If you place Sally in scarlet and Brenda in beige, there will be talk of favoritism. Sally will bloom and Brenda will recede into an angst-filled background.

Here are a few visual dos and don'ts.

Bad: So much tropical pattern draws attention away from the faces. {from awkwardfamilyphotos.com}

Bad: One ensemble rarely suits all. Look to blend rather than to match. {from awkwardfamilyphotos.com}

Good: The perfect amount of seasonal skin exposure. {from Melissa Luzander}

Good: A little bit of pattern goes a long way. {from Lauren Beatty}

Good: Monochromatic made interesting with varying texture. {from Allison Young of Young 'Uns}

Good: A perfectly blended color combination. {from Nicole of Five Peas}




The more members in a photograph, the more rules you should unquestionably observe. Whereas a spattering of stripes and florals will not overwhelm a family of four, it could enact a pictorial cataclysm in a family of fifteen.

Oh, and forget about saying cheese. {Editor's Note: Disregard the title of this post.} Think about a pretty pair of shoes instead. You want to emanate natural bliss and footwear has a much higher chance of precipitating felicity than fermented dairy.

Find more photography styling ideas at http://www.cardiganempire.com/search/label/Photography

Mixology

'Tis the season when every day on my calendar is filled with one wonderful holiday event or another, and something tells me that your calendar is just the same. For those of you who are brave enough to be a hostess and not just a guest (not it!) I am pleased to announce today's guest blogger, Marleigh Riggins Miller from SLOSHED!, who is going to teach us the ins-and-outs of a fabulous holiday cocktail party.

Take it away!

One of the great joys of the holiday season is entertaining-- being surrounded by family and friends, reflecting on all the ups and downs of the past year and looking forward to the next. Especially around this time of year, I receive a lot of questions from readers regarding the mechanics of hosting cocktail parties-- which cocktails go with which hors d'oeuvres? how many bottles of liquor do I need? how much food should I make? what about people who don't like gin (or rum or whiskey)? To help ease some of the confusion for first-time party planners, I've put together a few tips on hosting a cocktail party.

1. Plan ahead

I know this sounds like a no-brainer, since this entire process is called party planning. However, a good outline will keep you sane and prevent a lot of last-minute panicking and changes. If you know ahead of time how much food to buy, how many days ahead of time you can prep the food, how many bottles of liquor you need, etc., it will allow you to feel calm, cool and collected all the way through the party.

And while you're thinking about planning ahead, there is absolutely no shame in preparing an entire menu of food that can be done in advance. No one expects you to be slaving in the kitchen for four hours before the party, so why would you? The same goes for cocktails. Pick recipes that will allow you to do the least amount of work during the party, either because they don't require any special labor or because you've already juiced the citrus or pre-measured the ingredients.

2. Keep the guest list under 20

Twenty is the magic number where bartending for your guests becomes a job, and one best done by a bartender if you intend to enjoy the party. I try to keep my parties between 12 and 15 guests, which is where I have the best mix of time spent entertaining and time spent making drinks or refilling food.

3. Make a menu.

This is where I sent most of my planning time. Parties are all about the food and company, and a cocktail party is all about the drinks, food and company. There are a few simple rules I follow when putting together menus:

If your party begins before 6p.m. or after 8p.m., expect your guests to eat less than they would during the dinner hour. Two pieces per person of six or so hors d'oeuvres is a good place to start.

If your party takes place between 6 and 8p.m., expect guests to be hungry and prepare more portions. Two pieces per person of 10 or so hors d'oeuvres is a good place to start.

Prepare food in bite-size portions. If you do not have the space or have not planned for guests to fill a plate and then sit down to eat, expect that they will have a drink in one hand and thus only one free hand to eat with.

Have plenty of napkins on hand-- liquor plus food requires some mopping up.

Plan for three drinks per guest. Choose your cocktail recipes accordingly, so that you don't wind up with a room full of guests who can't drive home.

One 750mL bottle of liquor will give you approximately 25 one-ounce pours. If you are preparing drinks that call for two ounces of liquor per cocktail, expect to get 12 cocktails per 750mL bottle of spirit.

Choose drinks that use some of the same ingredients. This will save you money, time and labor, especially if you need to juice fresh citrus. I like to pick a theme for the drinks, like Classic Sours (Whiskey Sour, Margarita, Pisco Sour Sidecar), Champagne Cocktails (French 75, Kir Royale, Death in the Afternoon) or Holiday Warmers (Hot Buttered Rum, Tom & Jerry, Fresh Eggnog).

Keep wine and beer on hand for those guests who don't drink hard liquor. I usually stock a good local microbrew and bottle each of white or red, or a couple bottles of champagne during the holidays.

4. Don't panic, something always goes wrong.

I've hosted a lot of cocktail parties, and something, inevitably, always goes wrong. Most of the time it's something minor, like burning the crostini, but don't panic-- just roll with the punches and remember that the point of all this is to have a good time. Your guests will never see the burnt toasts, so just throw more in the oven and focus on the things that have gone right.

5. Have fun, you earned it.

If you don't have a good time, there's absolutely no point to hosting a party. If you plan ahead, stick to your menu and do the prep beforehand, there's absolutely no reason that you shouldn't enjoy every minute.

To get you started, here is a simple champagne cocktail recipe-- the Kir Royale:

Ingredients: champagne, sparkling wine or cava; creme de cassis (black currant liqueur)

Fill a flute three-quarters full with champagne and add a splash of creme de cassis. Garnish with a spiral lemon twist and serve.

To make a non-alcoholic version, substitute non-alcoholic sparkling wine or sparkling apple juice for the champagne, and use black currant or raspberry syrup in place of the cassis. Garnish with a spiral lemon twist and serve.

Happy Holidays!

Turkey Trot

I just finished the last of my Thanksgiving leftovers today. Today. Yes, today.

And don't think that means that I haven't already started eating delicious Christmas treats like gingerbread cookies and chocolate-c0vered everything.

We can all agree that the holidays are a little rough on the waistline, and there are all kinds of tips out there to help you keep from... ahem... tipping the scales. But how to do it in style? Luckily, there are some new items in the Shabby Apple fitness line, Albion, that can help you with that.

Behold!

This is our very own Mary Braun, our lady in red, modeling the Goddess Pose tank, Hero shirt, and Sleeping Vishnu bermuda, with her sister-in-law Carrie, rocking the Flying Crow jacket. These fearless athletes are beat the holiday gluttony with the St. George Turkey Tri. That's a 400 meter swim, a 10 mile bike ride and a 5K run. Let's give them a round of applause!

In Mary's words:

I think the best take-away message of this whole thing was that we are probably more capable of things than we give ourselves credit for. I'm not a particularly athletic person (although I have always loved recreational sports like skiing and hiking). Training for a triathlon was hard work, but doing it with someone I trusted and loved made me excited to do it, plus showed me that I was actually good at swimming and biking and running. Plus, it got a lot of other women interested-- probably thinking, if Mary Braun can do it, I can, too! And they can!

So, there you have it. Adorable work-out clothes and a cheerleader named Mary to boot. That's right, Christmas just came early.

What do you think of the new items from Albion, and what are you doing to keep off the seasonal gain?

Give To Get

We have a pretty rad contest running right now over on the Shabby Apple Facebook page. Did you know that?

I could be super mean and not tell you anything about it and make you go over there and find out all the details yourself, but I am feeling charitable in this, the holiday season, so I'll tell you what it's all about.

And then you should go over to the Facebook and check it out for yourself. Deal?

Here's the skinny.

GIVE ONE, GET ONE.

THE PRIZE: Give a woman who inspires you a Shabby Apple dress, and get one for yourself (because generosity has it's rewards, too...)

WHAT: Post a response to this discussion topic on our Facebook page with your TRUE story about a woman in your life who has inspired or impacted you. This could be a mother, sister, friend, neighbor, teacher, etc. Their actions can be big or small, personal or community wide--but they should be inspiring and uplifting. Feel free to make your post longer than a few sentences but keep them short enough that we can read them in one sitting (no novellas, ladies!). Three paragraphs MAX.

WHO: These need to be TRUE STORIES, and about someone you KNOW PERSONALLY and can CONTACT EASILY. They are, after all, winning a dress, and we'd like to make sure they get it. So, sadly, great-great granny Mae can't win for you. Unless, that is, she's still alive (in which case, go Granny Mae!). This also means you can't send a dress to Madeline Albright or Diane Sawyer, unless you happen to have their personal mailing address. You don't need to post first and last names if you're worried about privacy, but, if you win, you will have to provide first and last name, and a separate mailing address (unless said person lives with you) for them. YOU must be over 18, but the other recipient of the dress can be under 18 as long as you only use a first name.

WHEN: Now through DECEMBER 20th at 11:59 pm EST.

Other things you should know:
-One entry per person
-Winnings are Non Transferable
-Shabby Apple retains the rights to select one or multiple winners
-Winners are obliged to provide contact information for both parties, and may be asked to supply other information for promotional purposes. (Don't worry, nothing scary, we just might like to do a blog post about you or something of the sort.)
-Cheaters are not cool... don't make up a story about how someone gave you a kidney so you can get two dresses. Don't be that person. Also, don't make up fake accounts for yourself so you can enter 27 times. We know when you do that and it's lame sauce
-NO COPYRIGHTED WORK or previously published work will be accepted. Again, don't be that person.

Personally, my head is swimming with thoughts of all the wonderful women who have touched my life. Not to mention swimming with thoughts of how beautiful they would look in a Shabby Apple dress.

How about you? What women have inspired you, and what dress would you like to give them?