{holiday socks–my favorite}
{taster day!}
{my nephew is cuter than yours}
{sparkly sanding sugar for cookie fun}
{speks + coffee}
{snowflake jammie bottoms}
So the highlights of my week were coffee and cute things, I’m ok with that!
Tag Archives: Family
Thank goodness for Pinterest and Martha Stewart! Between the two of these I think anything can look amazing! Last night, my amazing hubby was willing to sit with me, catch up on three weeks of Grey’s Anatomy episodes, and fold doilies! What a stud I have.
Do It:
I’ll be sure to post a photo of them in action at the shower!
Butter + Caramel + more Butter
12 DecThis weekend was crazy busy for me. Yesterday I was headed to a party and decided to bring a baked goodie. I found this one on Pinterest and couldn’t resist. Butter, Caramel, sugar, and salt…yum. I headed to the store and picked up the goods. When I look at recipes I typically am not the best at checking amounts before heading to the store. This time was the same and when I got home and actually read the recipe I was astounded…ONE WHOLE POUND OF BUTTER. Um, what, hold the phone. That is a lot of butter. Lucky for me my sister was home and gave me the butter. This recipe turned out to take a really long time and made a huge mess, but trust me when I say it is worth it!
We have a winner, but beware your pants may not fit tomorrow. Enjoy! And make sure you have enough butter on hand!
Salted Caramel Butter Bars
The Goods:
For the Crust:
- 1 lb. salted butter room temp
- 1 cup sugar
- 1½ cups powdered sugar
- 2 Tbs vanilla
- 4 cups all purpose flour
For the Filling:
- 1 bag (14 oz.) caramel candies
- 1/3 cup milk or cream
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- 1 T. coarse sea salt (optional)
Do It:
1. In a large bowl, combine the butter and sugars. Using mixer on medium speed, beat together until creamy.
2. Add the vanilla and beat until combined.
3. Sift the flour into the butter mixture and beat on low speed until a smooth soft dough forms.
4. Spray a 9×13 inch baking pan lightly with non-stick cooking spray.
5. Press one-third of the dough evenly into the pan to form a bottom crust, and place the remainder of the dough in the fridge to chill.
6. Preheat to 325F.
7. Bake until firm and the edges are a pale golden brown approx 20 minutes.
8. Transfer pan to a wire rack and let cool about 15 minutes.
9. While the bottom crust is baking and the remaining dough is chilling, make the caramel filling.
10. Place the unwrapped caramels in a microwave-safe bowl.
11. Add the cream and vanilla.
12. Microwave on high for 1 minute. Remove from the microwave and stir until smooth. If caramels are not completely melted, microwave on high for 30-second intervals, stirring after each interval, until smooth.
13. Pour the caramel filling over the crust. If you are going to salt the caramel sprinkle it on caramel layer now.
14 Remove the remaining chilled dough from the refrigerator and crumble it evenly over the caramel.
15. Return the pan to the oven and bake until the filling is bubbly and the crumbled shortbread topping is firm and lightly golden, about 25 – 30 minutes.
16. Let cool before cutting into squares.
White Christmas
6 DecOh boy am I dreaming of a white Christmas. Not only do I love the movie, and watch it at least one a season {more if the hubby is gone}, but I love love love cold weather.
Once upon a time I spent the holidays in Aspen frolicking in snow. Okay maybe I imagine it different than it was, but I loved running from store to store to escape the -30 degree weather, getting all dressed up for a night out, throwing on a huge coat, and checking it at the door. It felt like a movie!
I have tried every year to convince my hubby to escape for the holidays, run away and enjoy it together, just us two. Two years ago he agreed and we spent Christmas in New York. Sadly, there wasn’t much snow but I got to bundle up and strut around in my boots and long pea coat. Dreamy.
This year I tried again, he wouldn’t fall for it. No Aspen, no Whistler, no Banff. Boo. You better believe I am not giving up.
For now, I will enjoy the weather here.
The best part {kidding} of the cool weather this year has been the other night when Teddy decided to eat 2 plates of dessert out of the trash. He got so sick and for an entire night cried and whined having to poo. Finally at 3:45am my amazing hubby got up and took Teddy out for a walk, he had to take him almost a mile before he finally felt better! That was some cold weather I will pass on.
So throw on White Christmas and sing along….”Snow, snow, snow….it won’t be long before we’ll all be there!”
*photos via pinterest.com
Makeup Testers + Frosty’s
17 Nov
I have so many treasured memories from my childhood, but I especially loved when my parents would let me go home with my aunt and uncle after church on Sundays. Not only did this mean I got to eat Del Taco for lunch, get a dipped cone from Frosty’s, watch episode after episode of The Three Stooges, but I also got to play with all my aunt’s makeup! You know, all the cool things your parents don’t let you do all in one day.
I think about all the amazing times and can’t help but wish I had a little niece to spoil and give her all my testers too! Not that my 5 nephews aren’t the greatest, but I doubt their mom’s would be excited if I sent them home with eyeshadow and lip liner…
What I love most about makeup is how pretty it all is. This is one of those things I am a total girly girl about. I like to get it all set up so I can see what I am working with {just like my aunt did}. I used to have them all lined up on some elevated blocks, but have been on the lookout for something prettier. While randomly stopping in at an antique shop last weekend, I found this perfect old mirror.
I unscrewed the mirror and carefully popped it out, cleaned it, sprayed it with a darker metallic gold paint, let it dry and voilà! It was the easiest way to update the look and feel of my vanity!
Now all I need to complete the setup is some Michael Jackson playing{preferably PYT} and a date with the hubby to get ready for!
Lace & Doilies
6 NovIn just one short week my future sister in law’s bridal shower will be here. The planning began months ago, and yet somehow it has still managed to creep up on me. Thankfully, the other shower planners and I had already planned out some ideas before I went on vacation and got a job, so now I just have to actually do them.
Doily Streamers
Thank goodness for Pinterest and Martha Stewart! Between the two of these I think anything can look amazing! Last night, my amazing hubby was willing to sit with me, catch up on three weeks of Grey’s Anatomy episodes, and fold doilies! What a stud I have.The Goods:
doilies {4 inch}
twine or yarn
scissors
Do It:1. Separate all the doilies from each other
2. Fold in half, then fold in half again
3. Open them up, grab a pencil, pen or your finger and squish them up like a flower
4. Unfold them a bit and set aside
5. Cut your twine however long you would like it
6. With a big needle {or by clipping the bottom a bit and then by hand} string on your doilies
7. Hang and enjoy!
I’ll be sure to post a photo of them in action at the shower!Cheese Please
5 Nov
Cheese is one of my favorite things in life. I recently found this amazing specialty cheese shop right down the road in Del Mar. It is probably a good thing it isn’t too close or else it could be a problem for my waistline. This tiny store has tons of different types of cheese from all over the world. You cannot go wrong {and ask for Summer she is the greatest}!
With the help of Summer, I chose a 4 yr old Gouda from Holland, a French Fromager, and truffle white cheese {so amazing I forgot its name}. After making my purchases, the hubs and I headed to my dad and his wife’s place for a wine and cheese night to thank them for watching our hairy beast while we were sailing the Mediterranean.
Best combo of the night: fromager d’affinois + homemade grand marnier honey glaze {recipe soon}
As always we had a wonderful time chatting, eating, and drinking the night away…oh and eating leftover Halloween candy! Have a splendid weekend!
Carving with Cuties
29 OctEvery year my mom holds her annual pumpkin carving contest. We all bring a pumpkin and our appetite, and then prepare to be dominated by my ridiculously artistic family members. I pretty much gave up all hope of winning this year and made a silly face pumpkin and got to the more important stuff; like hanging out with my nephews, cousins and the dessert table.
As always, my brothers freehand drew their designs and won! Now off to get my costume ready for tonight’s party!
Until next year.
June Lake pt. 2
26 SepMy Favorites
{Gull Lake}
{tiny cutie @ Gull}
{cousin + aunt}
{cousin with his catch}
{fish of the day}
{park time w/ his fav aunt}
{dinner}
{getting it done}
{approaching storm}
{hiking}
{gorgeous scenery}
{remnants of 1992 fire}
{ love this family}
{Rainbow Falls hike}
{breathtaking}
{tiniest}
{staircase down the falls}
{amazing}
{and this is what happens when you need someone else to take a picture of you & the waterfall….hmmm}
{tuckered out}
{“big fish are cool”}
{until next year}
Annual June Lake Trip
23 Sep
Every year our extended family heads to the Sierras for a weekend of fishing, hiking, eating, drinking, game playing, and catching up. This is my favorite annual getaway. I might go so far as to say it is better than Christmas.
This year we left at 2am and we are all super tired, but have managed to get some fun in. Here are a couple of my favorite pics {so far}. There will be more to come when I return.
To those of you not here, we miss you so!
And I caught 6 fish yesterday in about 1 hour! Go me!
