Chrismas in a Cupcake

I had to make something for our Black Friday potluck, and since the day after Thanksgiving means the Christmas season is officially upon us, I decided to make chocolate peppermint cupcakes! I used this recipe for the cupcakes and made my typical cream cheese buttercream frosting, but instead of vanilla extract, I used peppermint (the recipe is 1 stick butter, 8 oz cream cheese, 4 cups powdered sugar, and half and half). I had made a variation of these a couple years ago and put crushed candy canes and extra white chocolate chips I had lying around in the batter, but I when I was grocery shopping I found Andes peppermint baking chips! They combined the fresh, crunchy peppermint and creamy white chocolate all into one! I added about a cup of those into the chocolate batter. Delish. These were a hit at the potluck, especially since I made them in a mini, bite-sized version!

Black Friday: What I Wore

[The Limited jacket (now on sale!), tuxedo blouse, sequin pants, and necklace // Target heels // Revlon "Wine With Everything" lip color // Huge bun brought to you by a hair donut aka the best invention ever for people with fine hair]

Whoa. Sorry, guys. I didn't really mean to take such a blogging hiatus, but it happened, even when I had quite a few things to post! I went to post this entry yesterday, but Google told me I needed to upgrade my account so I could post more photos (I can't go without photos!) and I didn't have enough time before work SO here I am :)

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving and, if you went Black Friday shopping, hopefully you didn't get injured or have to fight over that tv or great pair of shoes you wanted. My Black Friday was actually quite uneventful, seeing as how I opened at midnight and most people are shopping for electronics at that hour or *gasp* sleeping. We had a small rush around 1 am and then were dead from around 3-7 am, with a few people coming to shop before work or to just start their day of shopping. My boss brought in coffee when she came in at 6, so by the time I got off work, I was wired from the caffeine (and probably a little delirious) and felt like I needed to be up since everyone else was. I was crazy and decided it would be a great idea to drive to Springfield and go shopping. Besides the fact that I kinda felt like falling asleep while driving, it actually was. In fact, Black Friday helped me get pretty much all of my Christmas shopping done! Before I left The Limited I bought my sister a few things for her birthday and Christmas presents. I made it to Springfield around 11, so I had an hour to hit up Express for their half-off sale. I successfully found Nick the pants he wanted and got some things for my bro-in-law, and I really couldn't have asked for a better deal. I checked out the new H&M that just opened (I'm in trouble that it's only an hour away from me now) and wandered through LOFT which was half off as well. I should get a medal for resisting buying myself anything. EVERYTHING WAS SO CUTE. Proooobably why I gave in on Monday when I went to Champaign to exchange one of Nick's pairs of pants (in my sleep-deprivation I didn't even check one of the sizes) and help Michelle find an interview outfit.... I couldn't resist checking out their Loft and, lo and behold, they were running their 50% off sale yet again for Cyber Monday. I was done for. I left with 2 of the tops I wanted to get on Friday and added a beautiful, sleeveless, black blouse with scalloped lace detail and pleats. Perfection, really. Don't worry, I'll come up with some outfits to showcase them :)

Well, that's all I have for now - stay tuned for my chocolate peppermint cupcake recipe. I made them for our Black Friday buffet and they were a hit - the fiancé also couldn't get enough of them, either!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Well, the bird says it all... Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!

I'm sorry about the lack of posts this week. I've been working a ton but also got some not-so-good family news. My grandma was diagnosed with leukemia this past week, and it's kind of a shock to the whole family. She is in her 80s, but she is very very strong. We have a lot of hope of course, but it's still scary. She started her treatment this week and will continue the treatment once a month, for five days, for the next 6 months. It's just a bummer because earlier this year she fell and shattered her jaw and wasn't able to talk for about 3 months. My Grandma is very very social (I swear her schedule is more packed than mine ever was!) so you can imagine that this was very hard for her. When she was finally able to talk, she had a couple of infections and started to feel really weak. When she went in to get her nose infection checked out she felt that something was up and decided to get some blood work done. Thankfully she decided to get the blood work because that is how she found out that she had cancer. This was only in the past couple of months that she started feeling tired and weak, so hopefully that means she caught it early. Either way, I am hopeful that she will pull through. She's been through a lot and she's ready to tackle this cancer - hopefully in May she will be in remission and she won't have to have any more treatment!

Sorry for the dump of sad news, but that's just what's going on right now. This Thanksgiving, which counts my 5th year in a row that I'm not home, I'm thinking even more about how blessed I am to have the family that I do. Of course I am always thankful, but today it hits home, and I'm glad we have a holiday that focuses solely on that: being thankful. I was lucky to have my Grandma Gies til I was 21, and hopefully Grandma Betz will be around for many years to come. Either way, I am glad that I have been so loved and cared for by my grandmas - I have so many great memories tied to both of them and around the holidays. One being that we would have a cousin sleepover at my Grandma Betz's house the night of Thanksgiving and we would get to stay up playing Nintendo and watch movies and wake up to homemade pancakes and waffles. It seriously was the best thing ever. The thing I'm most thankful for today is that everything worked out with missing work and I get to go home for Christmas. I get to spend time with my family and most importantly, my Grandma. I am sad that Nick won't be coming with me, but I know there won't be a lot of Christmases where it's guaranteed that we'll be going to Oregon. I guess that's what happens when you get married!

Well, I hope you all have a wonderful day of giving thanks and eating yummy turkey! Nick works til 6:30 and I have to go into work Black friday at 11:30 pm, so we decided to keep things simple and have a non-traditional dinner at a restaurant. That way I won't have to worry about cooking by myself all day and then cleaning everything up later when we could just be spending time together. I get off at 9 am tomorrow, and he will go back to work at 9:30, so I may not see him til he gets off tomorrow night! Yeah, definitely not your traditional Thanksgiving, but I'm OK with it. I am happy I can at least enjoy it with Nick, and hopefully next year we'll actually get a turkey dinner!

Have a great day, and if you're going Black Friday shopping, best of luck to you! Hopefully the cans of mace will be on lock-down, haha ;)

The simplistic sweater dress.

[Hinge at Nordstrom leather jacket // The Limited sweater dress (now on sale!), tights, and earrings // F21 infinity scarf // Target boots] 

There's nothing I love more than being warm, cute, and comfortable all at the same time, and this sweater dress (and pretty much every other sweater dress out there) helps make that happen. I only had to be at work for about 5 hours this day, and I didn't really want to have to think about my outfit. Thus, the dress. I simply added cute patterned tights to pull in the gray and black on the dress, black flat boots so my feet wouldn't hurt , and finished the look off with my chunky knit scarf. I chose the leather jacket over a wool coat because it's sleek and form-fitting rather than adding more bulk, plus the leather still keeps me warm! In addition to being simple and warm, sweater dresses are great because they're so versatile. Wear one like I am here for a casual daytime look or switch out the boots for a pair of sexy black heels, add a sparkly necklace for when you take off that scarf, add some lip color, and you've got a great date-night outfit! 

"Black Tie" Holiday collection debuts today!!!!

Today is the day, folks.... sequin pants are going to be on my body while I am at work today! WOOHOO! Not only that, but the lovely Sophie Theallet collection also debuts today! Whether you are looking for great gift ideas, a cozy sweater, or the perfect party outfit, The Limited has something for you right now! Go check out new arrivals online or in a store near you! Here are some of my favorites from the new collection: 

[Geometric and caviar stone statement necklace]

[Large crystal dome stud earrings]

[Tuxedo jacket]

[Ribbon-belted lace dress]

[Sophie Theallet bow-detail dress]

[Jeweled-collar tuxedo blouse]

[Bow graphic cardigan]

[ONLINE EXCLUSIVE: Forenza peplum skirt]

[Inverted pleat skirt]

[Sequin legging jeans]

I ordered the pink Sophie dress since we didn't get that color in our store, as well as the inverted pleat skirt! I love those colors, and it's such a classic shape! Ok, I swear I'm done buying stuff...... wishful thinking. Have fun shopping!

Exciting things happening here!

Yes... this weekend, Nick and I finally got.... wait for it...

A table.

Baha! I know, probably not what you were expecting, but for us, it's a big deal, seeing as how we have lived without any sort of dining table for, oh, about 5 months now. Woops.

I found a super cheap folding one at Walmart that came with chairs, so I decided that on our morning off together on Friday that we should just go get it! I also needed him with me because I couldn't quite carry the box by myself....

Anywho, we got ourselves a little table, and since it was around lunchtime, and I had a coupon, we picked up Culver's and had that as our first meal on our table! Super exciting, I know, but now I feel like we're real people and I'm excited for the next time I cook or bake to have actual prep space! We don't have much counterspace in our kitchen. It's the little things, people.

My little fox friend.

[Skirt (h&m), Tights, and Boots (DSW): borrowed from Jordan // Sweater: Hazel Boutique]

I wore this outfit when Jordan and I decided to "get cute" and go out to Troquet for dinner. I tried on a MILLION things I could have taken home from Hazel, but finally settled on this adorable little fox sweater! I don't shop a lot at other stores anymore since I won't be able to wear it to work (unless it's a shoe store of course), so I decided this casual, cozy sweater would be something cute and quirky I could wear on my days off, running errands, or even just around the house! I loved him when I saw him folded on the table, but didn't realize the best part until I tried him on.... his little tail wraps around the back! That sold it for me right there. I had to wear him out that night, so I rummaged through Jordan's closet and compiled an outfit we decided was "Parisian glam". Cute, chic, and comfy!

Chicago weekend: Part 3

Ok, guys, I promise this is the last post about my weekend! I just didn't want to bombard you with details of my entire weekend plus all of the pictures in one post....

So Sunday was our last day, and Jordan had to sing that morning at a church in Oak Park. The thing is, when she was at her rehearsal on Saturday, the tenors were apparently struggling, so she asked the director if he had it in his budget to pay another tenor to come sing. He pleaded that she bring her tenor friend, and Nick jumped at the chance to make an extra $50 over the weekend! So, we woke up bright and early, got amazing bagel breakfast sandwiches at a place right around the corner from her apartment, and drove out to the church! While they rehearsed for an hour, I walked around the area. It was a beautiful, sunny, crisp morning, and the area is really cute! I went back for the service at 11 and enjoyed watching them sing John Rutter's Requiem throughout the service. It was definitely a church choir, but it was pretty! And I could always pick out Jordan's and Nick's voices. They were definitely carrying their sections :)

Nick offered to take us all out to lunch, so we had Jordan recommend yet another place: Southport Café. We had to wait about 45 minutes, but luckily there was an Anthropologie down the street, so I wasn't complaining. And it was totally worth it. Jordan said that one of us HAD to get the bread pudding pancakes (one of her favorites there), so I decided to take one for the team and order them ;) They were so. Freaking. Good. I don't even know how to describe them. They were just fantastic, thick, fluffy pancakes with an amazing cinnamon butter and then a vanilla sauce to drizzle over it, all covered in powdered sugar. Nick got the brisket and gravy (also AMAZING), and Jordan ordered the bruschetta. The brunch wouldn't have been complete without bloody marys, or course, so we each had one.... then Jordan and I split another one :) Seriously a great last Chicago meal! We went back to Jordan's place and relaxed for an episode of HIMYM, then reluctantly hit the road for Decatur. We were sad to leave and to go back to reality, but excited about the prospects of living in Chicago next year! It really gives me something to look forward to, and I am crossing my fingers that everything works out with school and financial aid for Nick and we can move there after next summer!

[The church in Oak Park]

[Deliciousness]

[My cute fiancée]

[Epic pancakes]

[Bruschetta]

[Nick's manly meal]

[The aftermath... I needed help finishing my last few bites. It was a team effort]

[Haha, oops]

[Picture fail]

[There we go! Love her to death]

Chicago weekend: Part 2

On Saturday, Jordan was busy til 4, but it worked out since Nick and I wanted to go downtown and check out Opera Fest at CCPA. I never actually went when I was a student that one year at CCPA, so I was excited myself! Plus, I was excited for Nick to hear some students and see what he could be doing - I am so excited for him to go to grad school! I can wait another year, haha.

We made it downtown just in time for the Diploma students' program at 1. It was really really cool! We started in the lobby of Ganz Hall, the recital hall, with one short performance, then headed to the Ganz Hall stage. We were surrounding the action, and it was nice because you could really watch their singing! The way the program called "Dreams" was organized was also really cool, with an amazing song cycle by Wagner (the soprano was so good!) and a shorter one by Debussy that I'm actually currently working on. You can bet that I took those translations with me! :)

After Opera Fest we grabbed some lunch at Thai Spoon, one of my favorite places to go when I lived in the UC downtown. I got pad thai, Nick got a sushi box. Yum!

It was getting around the time that Jordan would be home, so we met her back at her apartment around 4. Nick had a few more SAE brothers wanting to hang out with him, so they came and picked him up, while Jordan and I planned a girl's night! Jordan asked if I wanted to go to this little boutique called Hazel, down the street from her place, and of course, I said yes. She told me it was cute, but I was not prepared for how much cute and one-of-a-kind things I found! It also wasn't too expensive, especially for certain things, and almost everything was my style. I had a pile of things I could have bought after trying on, but I settled on an impossibly adorable fox sweater... don't worry, I'll post a picture later ;)

On our way back we were figuring out what we wanted to do for dinner, and we passed a newer restaurant called Troquet. We checked out a menu because we weren't sure how much it would cost, but we found that the most expensive thing was only $12! We decided we'd go back to her place, "get cute", and come back for a fabulous meal.

And fabulous it was! We started with wine (my pinot noir was really good) and split two plates: mussels and fries (I had never tried them before!) and a cheese plate. There were salads that sounded amazing, as well as sandwiches that sounded amazing, so we decided to each order one and split some things. I ordered the chevre salad with mixed greens, candied pecans, cranberries, prosciutto, goat cheese, and a cider vinaigrette, while Jordan ordered a croque-madame. Both were so so good and even though the salad cost $12, it was completely worth it. It was HUGE. Biggest salad I've seen at a restaurant! And everything was so fresh and delicious. I had never had a croque-madame (a sandwich with gruyere, ham, and an egg on top... and deliciously buttery), but I will be trying to recreate it at home!!! We enjoyed one more glass of wine and ate to our hearts' content and, for what we got, it really wasn't that bad! I told Jordan that the next time we visit we are going there again.

[Waiting for the "L"]

[Mussels and fries and a cheese plate]

[Do you see those huge pieces of prosciutto???]

[Heaven in sandwich form]