'tis the season

[our very first Christmas tree in our home]

[one of the many festive headpieces I've been making]

[stockings over a much used fireplace]

[white and crystal wreaths]

[mercury glass Christmas trees]

[my hoop.. one of the best ways to take your mind off everything]

[more mercury glass adornments over the hallway door]

[freshly chopped firewood]

Just a few things that are currently making me very happy.

xx

A

leather shorts and leopard

[ray ban sunglasses.  scarf from nordstrom.  f21 sweater.  hue tights.  f21 leatherette shorts.  louis vuitton speedy.  jessica simpson ballet flats.  opi malaga wine nail polish.]

All my Christmas shopping is done for the most part, but there are still a few little things I want to pick up for pretty some special people.  I wore this out for some last minute shopping, and I couldn't have been more comfortable.  The leather shorts (a trend I first mentioned here) were so easy to pull off, and gave the outfit a unique touch.  I definitely recommend picking up a pair if you haven't already (perhaps for a little Christmas present to yourself? No judgement here..).

xx

A

little things that are currently making me very happy...

 [My Charlie Brown Christmas Tree - Complete with Linus' blanket.  This tree NEEDS you!]

[My new Cheap Monday Bullet Rock Necklace that makes me feel oh so tough.  I think you should totally buy this, too.]

 [Reindeer Feed (yes, yes I know it's really called Puppy Chow, but I like this name a lot more).]

 [My Lenore ornament I first showed you here proudly displayed on my Christmas tree. Gotta love Edgar Allen Poe.]

[Finally having all the decorations up in my house.]

[Having the time to sit down and enjoy an amazing novel by one of my favorite authors, Fitzgerald, with a large glass of wine, no less.]

[Most importantly, looking forward to spending some quality time with some pretty amazing people.]

Between Christmas shopping, cooking, and playing with some of my favorite people, I haven't had too much time to blog, so I thought it'd be fun to list some things that are currently making me a very, very happy girl.  I hope you are all relishing in the last few days of the Holiday season, because they're running out fast, my darlings - much too fast in my humble opinion.  Enjoy them while they last, and remember to take notice of all the little things in life.. They're always the best.

xx

A

anthropologie christmas ornaments

As I continue on my search for amazing Christmas decorations, I've found my perfect one-stop-Holiday-shop in Anthropologie.  Their ornament selection alone is simply stunning.  The collection strikes that perfect balance of "rustic yet glamorous" that I always look to have in my home (a style I first told you about in this post).  The beautiful animal ornaments combined with the sparkly globes are sure to make any tree look absolutely gorgeous.  Also, most of the items are between $8 and $20, so I'll hopefully be making my way to the nearest Anthropologie (with a yummy Starbucks in hand) soon to scoop some up before they're all gone.  I can't wait!

xx

A

dark chocolate pecan pie

When it gets closer to Christmas, I start to crave indulgent deserts (one of my many lovely, little vices).  This simple pie recipe definitely hits the spot.  The dark chocolate gives the pie a fudge-like quality - it's simply amazing. It also only takes about an hour and a half until it's ready to eat.  I recommend going all out and serving it with a scoop of your favorite vanilla ice cream.  Enjoy!

Dark Chocolate Pecan Pie

1 cup Karo® Light OR Dark Corn Syrup

3 eggs

1 cup sugar

2 tablespoons butter, melted

1 teaspoon Nielsen-Massey Vanilla Extract

1-1/2 cups (6 ounces) pecans

1-1/2 cup Hershey's Dark Chocolate

1 (9-inch) unbaked or frozen** deep-dish pie crust

Preheat oven to 350°F.

• Mix corn syrup, eggs, sugar, butter and vanilla using a spoon. Stir in pecans. Pour filling into pie crust.
• Bake on center rack of oven for 60 to 70 minutes (see tips for doneness, below). Cool for 2 hours on wire rack before serving 
• **To use prepared frozen pie crust: Place cookie sheet in oven and preheat oven as directed. Pour filling into frozen crust and bake on preheated cookie sheet. 
• RECIPE TIPS: Pie is done when center reaches 200°F. Tap center surface of pie lightly - it should spring back when done. For easy clean up, spray pie pan with cooking spray before placing pie crust in pan. If pie crust is overbrowning, cover edges with foil. 
• NUTRITION TIP: To reduce calories, substitute new Karo® Lite Syrup for the Karo® Light or Dark Corn Syrup. 
• High Altitude Adjustments: Reduce sugar to 2/3 cup and increase butter to 3 tablespoons. Reduce oven temperature to 325°F.

xx

A