Emerald Eyes Makeup

Hello, Lovelies!
I put together this easy St. Patty's Day look for daytime. Smudge some darker bronze in the outer corner and add some fabulous lashes for evening. I paired it is simple wavey hair and a bright green scarf to stay warm at the St. Patrick's Day parade.

Pesto Mashed Potatoes

Hello, Lovelies!

I was really struggling with a St. Patrick recipe this year. I don't know what it is... I knew I wanted to do something that could and would be eaten year round, but was festive enough for leprechauns. What I came up with is actually nothing particularly new in my recipe rotation. Mashed Potatoes! How much more festive can you get than potatoes? Well, how about green ones?

Mini Caramel Sticky Buns

Hello, lovelies!

It is time that I let you all in on one of my favorite little known holidays. Yes, it's another one of those "made up" food holidays, but whatever. It's the perfect excuse to indulge. What day is it? Why, it's National Sticky Bun Day! (Feb. 21, 2013) That's right. You read correctly. Some amazingly ingenious person came up with a day just for celebrating one of the best breakfast items ever made... and I'm inviting you to join me in the celebration.

Heart Beet Salad ♡

Happy Hallmark I mean Valentine's season! Ok, I admit I do love this holiday, even if it has become a total sell out. The idea behind it is quite nice. I mean, we should celebrate love more often. To help do that, I've re-imagined one of my favorite salads.

Lovebird Valentine Nails

Hi everyone! I was looking around for inspiration on a valentine manicure. I thought about the ever popular "LOVE" written across my nails. Too bad my handwriting isn't up for that task. Soooo, maybe hearts? A simple ombré look? Not today. I was in the pet shop getting my lovely dog some dinner, when I wondered by the lovebird cage.
They're soooo cute. Always sitting right by their partner and actually kissing! Ok. I know it might just be me pushing imaginary emotions onto the little guys, but they are pretty adorable... Anyhow. I snapped a pic of them and my hand was reflected in the glass. Et voila! A new manicure idea was born.

Cute Santa Penguin Christmas Nail Manicure

Last year I gave my first try at penguin nails. They were cute, then, but now that I've tweaked the colors and added a few accessories, I think I'm in love! These cute little guys with little santa hats are the most adorably festive manicure ever! They're relatively simple to do, too.... always a nice thing. If you'd like to give them a whirl, check out the tutorial.

Christmas Holiday Rudolph the Reindeer Manicure

Happy Christmas Holiday season! I've jumped straight into the holiday mood this year and decided to bring you a cute and quick nail how to. Follow this simple tutorial and learn how to have adorable rudolph reindeer on your manicure too!

Zucchini Bread: Mini Loaves

Zucchini bread mini-loaves

Nothing quite says fall like being able to turn the oven back on. I'm not much of a cool weather fan, so this is a bit of a saving grace. Steaming soups, warm cakes and cookies... I love being able to cook dishes that require cooler weather.

Today I woke up to the cool sound of rain drops and the crisp smell of autumn. This immediately meant that I had to make a heart warming dish. And today that meant zucchini bread.

Marshmallows! Need I say more?

Marshmallows are those lovely, soft, pillowy delights that everyone remembers roasting over a campfire, devouring stale at Easter, and watching melt away in your hot coco. Although they're ridiculously messy, they're quite easy to make, as long as you prepare yourself.

Because it's the holidays, I amped these up a tad by dipping them
in chocolate, sprinkling with candy cane, and making
them into adorable little lollipops.

Christmas cookie cocktail

I wanted to try a new drink last night and came up with this while fiddling around the bar. It tastes like exactly what, well, the holidays! Mmmmmm...

Ingredients:
• 1 1/2 part Irish cream liqueur
• 1/4 part peppermint schnapps
• 1/2 part golden or dark rum
• 1 part heavy cream
• 2 parts cooled coffee
• crushed gingersnaps (to garnish)
• mini candy cane (to garnish)



Prepare your glass with the crushed cookies ( I swirled some melted chocolate in the bottom of the glass too) and put it in the freezer to get nice and frosty.
Combine liquids in a mixer and shake vigorously with ice. The mixture will become slightly frothy, and extra icy... Mmmmm.
Strain into your favorite martini glass, ignore the calories until New Year's day (uh-huh, sure... like I'll actually end up at the gym) and enjoy!

Mistletoe Martini

I generally tend to think of melon during the summer, but this particular drink is yummy all year round... that and it's ridiculously festive looking.
Ingredients:

• 1 part melon liqueur
• 2 part gin or vodka
• Splash dry vermouth (optional)

This one is as basic as it gets. Shake, then strain. The fun parts are the garnishes. Lemon twists taste great, but during the holiday season, I like a pretty sugar rim. Try using colored sugars, maraschino cherries, cranberries, pomegranate seeds... anything to add a little pizazz.

Time to sit back, and sip. 

Window Cookies

This recipe is really fun, and it happens to be a 2-in-1. They're part cookie, part candy. They definitely require a little patience, as there are several steps, but if you want to look like the next Martha Stewart at your holiday cookie swap, this is a pretty sure bet.

Yield: approx. 3 dozen

For the cookie: (this is a basic sugar cookie recipe, but can be swapped out with any dough well suited for cut out cookies...or if you were invited to a party, let's say tomorrow, just use refrigerated sugar cookie dough.)

• 3 C all-purpose flour
• 3/4 tsp baking powder
• pinch of salt
• Lemon zest (1 lemon)
• 1 C butter (preferably unsalted, but it won't ruin your cookies either way)
• 1 C white sugar
• 1 egg, slightly beaten
• 1 Tbs milk
• powdered sugar (... so much yummier than flour for rolling out the dough)

For the window:

• 1 large bag of hard candy, like J.R. or L.S.

Sift together the first 5 ingredients. Set those aside, and grab a second bowl. Cream together the butter and sugar until they become a nice pale yellow. Add the egg and milk. Once combined, lower your mixer speed and gradually add the dry ingredients in stages. Only beat until the mixture begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl. Divide the dough in two, wrap in wax paper or plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 2 hours.

While the dough is resting, separate the colors/flavors of your hard candies. Unwrap them and put each color into a plastic bag. Now, use a rolling pin to smash the daylights out of your candy. Wasn't that just a little too fun?

Anywho, preheat your oven to 350. Remove one portion of dough. Roll out on well dusted surface to about 1/4" thick.  Using about a 2" cookie cutter, cut out shapes. Take a 1" cutter and cut a "window" in each of your cookies. Transfer onto a parchment lined cookie sheet and place in fridge for about 10 min. (This helps the cookies keep their shape when baking.)

Right before putting your cookies in the oven, sprinkle a little mound of the crushed candies in the "window". Bake for 8-10 min until edges are just golden. Remove from oven and let cool for about 2 min. Slide cookies, parchment and all onto a wire cooling rack and let cool completely.

Now, devour... or, if you have WAY more restraint than me, these make a really pretty (and edible) ornament. Just use a toothpick to poke a hole in the dough before baking, then use a pretty ribbon to create a loop.