And the Cup Ran Away with the Spoon...

So, in keeping with my promise to give homemade Christmas gifts this year (candles, hot chocolate, soap, bath salts), I added chocolate-covered spoons to the agenda. I'm gifting these along with my mini-mason jars of hot chocolate.

I picked up some vintage spoons during my antique shopping as well as some mini-spoons from China that I picked up on eBay.

Using a microwave-safe container (I like Pyrex), melt chocolate chips (I used both dark and white). Add a little vegetable oil to ensure the chocolate melts smoothly.

Pipe or spoon the chocolate into your spoons.

 

Decorate spoons with the topping of your choice: marshmallows, M&Ms, red hots...whatever catches your fancy. I found these little ginger guys at Michael's.

Chill the spoons until set. (We have a wine fridge downstairs, so I usually chill overnight. And look at the ginger guys. :) )

The handle of one of the spoons...LOVES

Wrap spoons in saran wrap or candy bags and tie with ribbon. (I'm showing the spoon with a candle I made using a vintage teacup.)

Hot chocolate with the mini-mason: peppermint and cinnamon hot chocolate (with marshmallows)!! (And the little ginger guy!)

Enjoy!!

FITD love!!

xoxo,

Bran

FITD: Holiday Guide: 2012

Enjoy some fun holiday stocking stuffers!

Tis the season to be:

• edgy
• outrageous
• iconic.

FITD's top picks for the holiday season:

Keychain Love: Prada

I came across this Prada Skull keychain at the Prada store in Atlanta and absolutely fell in love!

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Creme de la Creme: Kiehl's

I gave my mom this Kiehl's giftset for Christmas one year, and she just adored it. (She went on to use the tin as a cookie container. :) )

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POW! BAM!: Kate Spade

Keep warm and show'em who's boss with...

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It's Serendipity!: Serendipty 3

Snuggle up!

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Colorful Words: Kate's Paperie

Journal your thoughts!

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Iconic Ink: Tiffany

Write it down.

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Little Miss Match: Littlemissmatched

Keep your tootsies warm!



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Run for Cover: Scoop

Style your iPhone.

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From (and for) the Dog: Oscar De La Renta

WOOF!!!

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Tiek-i-Torch: Tieks

Check out the fabbest trend in footware! Need to ditch those heels at the end of the night?

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Truffle with Clarity: TRUFFLE

If you're anything like me, your handbag may be a mess of receipts, lipsticks, change, phone charger, airplane pretzels, and three different kinds of hand saniztier.

Over the summer, I discovered the greatness of Truffle and the No. 1 Clarity pouch. I have to add another to my collection!

(BTW, these are perfect for travel!!)

Before long, you'll be asking yourself: "How Do I Truffle?" :)

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FITD love!

xoxo,

Bran

Madewell: Atlanta

I am so happy to share this particular blog post because I get to talk about one absolutely fabulous event: my baby cousin got married!!! She is truly a beautiful young woman--both inside and out. She hosted us in Atlanta---which (who?) was equally a lovely and gracious hostess.

Friday night, Jon and I went to Cellar 56, a Tapas place close to our hotel.  For those of y'all, not from the South--Krispy Kreme Bread Pudding is divine. I have made it, and when I saw it on the menu, I was contemplating dessert first. Luckily, I did not lick the plate in public. :)

Yesterday, my Beloved and I went to the Lenox Square Mall in Buckhead where I found my vacation homes in several different motherships (Kate Spade, Prada, Michael Kors, Burberry).

(He discovered his mothership at a cigar shop next to the hotel. :) )

One of my favorite places, though, is Madewell. I think we are finally opening up one here in Minnesota, but normally, I buy online, so it was a treat to go into the store.

The jeans I bought:

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I couldn't find an image to the shirt I bought, so I'm including this one. I bought a matching polka-dotted shirt that I already have in another color.

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(Thank you, Sale!!) :)

Not a great pic--but here's my Madewell outfit (and apparently my luggage).

At the wedding: my other baby cousin (who is also recently engaged!) AND a bridesmaid--she and I are posing with Santa: another guest at the wedding.

Make a wish!

FITD love to my Georgia family!! Love y'all!

xoxo

FITD: Fancy Pants!

Denim is the probably the mainstay of my wardrobe and my biggest clothing investment.

My personal style tends to lend itself to the conservative, so I opt for tailored, fitted pieces that will last me year after year.

I have found that a quality piece of denim will last me a long time.

And I love my jeans. I mean, I love, love, LOVE my jeans. I recently had to say good-bye to my first-ever pair of Sevens, and that was a sadder occasion than it should have been.

Because I keep my jeans for so long, I try to acquire classic styles so that I'm not stuck with something in my closet that I've worn once and now hate.

Which leads me to the topic of today's post: the fancy pant. Denim trends have just exploded this season: colored, printed, textured, torn, tie-dyed. I found myself having a case of denim envy.

I caved and bought a pair of red pants that I had been coveting. This decision was not made lightly. Could I pull it off? Would I look like a walking stop sign? Would someone say, "Is that...is that... FRODO walking down the street in red pants?"

And you know what...I LOVE them! So much so that I bought another pair in green.

I'm also loving these pieces, but I think that they will have to remain a fantasy.

Dallin Chase Sequin-Pattern Pants



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Sold Denim Ikat-Print Skinny Jeans

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Mother Denim

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Rich and Skinny

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7 For All Mankind

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Joe's Jeans

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Which ones are your favorites?

FITD love!

xoxo,

Bran

Silver + Gold + Splash of Color

Hello All!

I'm a sucker for cute packaging--especially around the holidays. It's fun to see what designers are putting out there.  :)

I've come across these lovelies and thought I would share.

Nail Caviar

If you've not yet tried nail caviar, you're in for a real treat. I started using Ciate over the summer, and it's a lot of fun if you're looking to add a festive element to an outfit.

This little gem by Nails, Inc. looks like an absolute blast to try!

Hello Kitty

Not gonna lie...I still have a nostalgic love of all things Hello Kitty. And you know what would make the world complete? A leopard print Hello Kitty Wild Thing Makeup Palette! :) Check out the gold bow! Loves. :)

I'm Too Too Pretty!

What do you get when you cross a ballerina and fabulous perfume and a skull bag? The. Best. Gift. Ever.

I have a dear friend who I know would like this.

Are you Too Too Pretty?

Life Threads: La Prairie

I've been a huge fan of La Prairie for years. I've been using an array of their skin care products since my late 20s, and I'm hoping that with continued use, I will be able to stave off Botox! :)

Doesn't this look just perfect for holiday time? How fun is this?

So, there you have it!  Enjoy. :)

FITD Traditions: Thanks +Giving

As we finish off the Thanksgiving leftovers and march towards Christmas, I thought I would share a bit about my holiday.

Although I love to entertain formally, I rarely do so. Much of my good china and serving dishes remain on the shelf most of the year--a habit I plan on breaking.

So, when I have the opportunity to entertain, I tend to get a little crazy. :) I spend days polishing silver. I contemplate the prettiest serving dishes to use. I plan a menu.

For the past few years, my Beloved and I have had his parents over for Thanksgiving. We will then spend a night at a B&B and do some antiquing where I have my annual, ubiquitous hunt for all glassware that is depression-era.

This year we had the good fortune to stay at the Alexander Mansion where we were treated to a lovely, gracious, and luxurious stay. I highly recommend it.




Silver: the finished product--a gift from my mom



Placesettings and centerpiece: I made the centerpiece myself. :) And notice that cute, yellow depression glass?

The finished product

One of my favorite depression-era pieces

A light fixture in Martha's room.

A nice plan to snuggle with a good book :)

The nightstand with a little treat



Nightcap and goodnight. :)

  Oh--I also did a quick update to my vanity. :)

FITD Love!

xoxo,

Bran

P.S. An FITD sentiment according to my mother: "Don’t ruin the table with

bowls that aren’t pretty."

Ginger Spice

When I think about the holiday season, I always picture my mom baking/cooking up a storm. Whether it was her famous caramel corn (that she would give to co-workers every year) or making the family cookie recipe, there was always something going on in the kitchen.

So, naturally, around this time of year, I go into Martha mode (which sometimes scares the people who know me well).

This year, I adopted a solider overseas and was contemplating what kind of cookie I could send him that would a.) be holiday-oriented and b.) keep well in transit.

I pulled out my handy-dandy Betty Crocker cookbook that my mom gave me may years ago and dug out my recipe for gingersnaps.

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup shortening
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon cloves
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• white sugar for decoration

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
2. In a medium bowl, cream together the shortening and brown sugar until smooth. Beat in the egg and molasses until well blended.
3. Combine the flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda and salt; stir into the molasses mixture to form a dough. Roll dough into 1 inch balls and roll the balls in the remaining sugar. Place cookies 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets.
4. Bake for 12 minutes. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely. 

Pumpkin + Leopard

I cannot help myself: my obsession with orange and All Things Leopard continues to grow.

Check out this smashing jacket!

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And polka dots...I'm also still in love with the dot. :) 



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Skinny Skinny!

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Ms. Minkoff

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Around the neck...

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Dynamic Duo!

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Ring-a-ding-ding...one of my favorites from this collection.

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FITD: Pied-a-terre

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The eyea have it!

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