December

One of the reasons I love December...
Peppermint!

Above items are from William Sonoma

The Häagen-Dazs is a new flavor and it is really good! They both are.

Am I missing any? Let me know if you have a favorite peppermint treat!

Before my cupcake craze, I used to blog about fashion. I thought about deleting all my old posts, but I decided against it and thought I'd keep them all for old times' sake. 

To view all of my old outfit posts, click HERE. 

To check out some of the other things I used to blog about, click on any of the following...

Bloggers

People

Fashion Shows

Random

Platforms?

On my last day in NYC I tried on my first pair of platform shoes at Prada. I have seen them everywhere but had yet to try or buy some. I was told they are not as hard to walk in as they look, I disagree. I guess you need to get used to them.

The Prada store was like a museum, really beautiful.
There were some really odd shoes, these for example:


These from the Prada 2010 Resort Collection are fun!

I spent my last day walking around SoHo with Ana. It was really fun. We had delicious Pizza and Pinkberry , yum!
This was a really great trip. Thanks Ana for inviting me, and to Marcos for his hospitality! It was so much fun!

LOGICAL... I THINK.

"Don't plagiarize Ashley... or you'll live with us forever!"

--Cousin/Sister Rachel
(after explaining to her why I can't copy Shakespeare or Campion when writing my poem for Brit Lit)

ACK! DISTRACTED AGAIN!

My inner baker is slowly creeping out, one delicious pie at a time.

I really must be going insane. No seriously. In the past 3 days I have made a total of 4 pies, bought the goods to make a deliciously chocolate cake (of which I've been craving for about a month now), and about 5 minutes ago I got it into my little baker brain that I am going to make Red Velvet Cake Balls a la Bakerella.com.

[mmmm, I know, don't they look nummy!?]

Good Jesus (pronounced in Espanol--I don't get the stare of the Devil from the uncle B if I say it like that), what in the world is wrong with me?!

Bake, bake, bake... It's all I want to do with my time now.

This is sickening. Really, it is.

Do you know how many papers I could have written this break? How much reasearch I could have started and completed?!

Sick. Just sick.

Now, back to these RVCBalls:

Instead of the box RVC mix like the recipe calls for... I'm going to use the family recipe for Red Velvet Cake Balls, yes the annual Christmas time one that Uh-Uh (pre-Alzheimers) makes. Wish me luck, when the time arrives. Because on top of using the recipe for the batter, I'm going to use the recipe for the frosting as well.... I know, I'm CRAZY! ::insert gut wrenching scream/gasp of horror here:: This could turn out going okay, or it could turn out horribly x's 2.

1. Being that I screw up the family recipe in some way and the damn balls turn out crappy.
2. The damn balls + the family recipe turn out AWESOME and I end up having to make them every year.

Ugh, I don't know which worse option is worse!?

[Please hold for a brief prayer to the Baking Gods:]

Please, Baking Gods, Angels, Faeries and Sprites... Please don't let my (possibly brief) venture into baking balls [hehe--immaturity, sorry] be a complete disaster. Let this little trip into bakingland turn out successful... whenever I decide to do it... k-thanks.
xoxo Chuck

Now I must get back to my no-baking-reality in which I am a college student, on the verge of finals and graduation, who at this very moment SHOULD be working on 4 papers simultaneously.

Ugh.

The baking fantasy, in which everything I make turns out delicious, looks so much better right now.

SUNDAY: TO-DOs

Today I will:

• Finally take a break from procrastination and stop reading thePioneerWoman.com
• Fold, hang, and wash the clean and dirty clothes that have become piled upon my round chair over the last 6 days.

If I posted a picture of how bad this chair looked, with the mile high piling of mostly (95%) clean clothing on it, you would be absolutely DISGUSTED! Heck, I'm disgusted every time I look at it, especially because I can't sit it the damn thing.

• Make my bed AND wash my sheets and duvet cover--AND prepare my bed for the winter (meaning EXTRA LAYERS so my feet stay warm).
• Call my Gran-ma and apologize profusely for not calling her on Thanksgiving, on Leftover Day, or yesterday... I'm a horrible gran-child! Sorry!!!
  
• Begin compiling my GRADUATION ANNOUNCEMENTS (So weird...) so that I can get them sent out with my Christmas/Holiday cards... which I still need to buy... ugh.
  
• Finally finish my Brit Lit paper, my Theories response/paper, and begin researching for my Theories and Forensics research papers that are both due in the next 10 days -- Gouge my eyes out now, Please.
• Wait patiently by the phone...
  

HAZARDS OF A LAPTOP

You will whack your chin...

ouch.

Another wonderful day

On my third day in NYC we decided to visit the Museum or Arts and Design. They had two interesting exhibits, Slash, Paper Under the Knife (Cut paper art) and Read my Pins, Madeleine Albright's pin collection. Both very interesting and worth seeing!


Then to The Plaza Hotel for lunch. Yum!

Then we walked all over 5th Avenue, Madison Ave., Park Ave., Bergdorf Goodman, Takashimaya, so many stores to see.


A visit to Dylan's Candy Bar, the world's largest candy store owned by Dylan Lauren, Ralph Lauren's daughter. Yum!!

Back home to rest from a day of walking all over the city.

A good way to end the day, dinner at Bar Artisanal.

HO HUM... OMG WONDERFUL

Dear Life,

I am currently reading my way through my new obsession (i.e. thePioneerWoman.com), and mid way through her highly captivating/hysterical/whitty/too-good-to-be-true/makes me hopeful AND completely jealous Love Story.

One day, when I figure my life out, I hope it (my life) and I end up somewhere near as happy as thePW seems to be.

Here is to hoping,

Chuck

Go read her site, and buy her cookbook!!
You are seriously missing out on a little slice of happiness if you don't.

Emilio Pucci: Colección Moda para Mujer Primavera Verano y Otoño Invierno 2009 2010

Emilio Pucci Spring Summer 2010 Womenswear Full Show



Emilio Pucci Fall Winter 2009/2010 Full Show

IR AL INICIO

HOLIDAY CHEER ME UP!

I'm excited for the up coming weeks... especially for a few packages that should be making their way to my door step.

(Not my front door--but I like it... wouldn't mind something like this for my own one day)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I finally caved and bought the box set of the Twilight saga. Not because I'm in love with the series--because the writing and 1/4 of the books drives me INSANE--but because I like books, and the underlying story/the whole vampire thing appeals to me. Otherwise, in a more perfect world, I would buy the box set then burn it as soon as I was done reading it; that's how angry the series makes me at times...

However, because I thoroughly enjoy the written word, and have respect for the literary world I will not be burning my Twilight series when it arrives at my door. I will reread the set, the place them gingerly on my bookshelf until the next movie comes out, and I'll complete the rereading process all over again (I'll probably complete the bitching and griping about the series again too, but thankfully, you won't have to hear about it again until July when movie 3 is released).


I also purchased The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Recipes from an Accidental Country Girl by Ree Drummond. She runs a website called ThePioneerWoman.com which just happens to be an AWESOME/AMAZING site for everything delicious... Believe me: From one Hate-to-Cook-Real-Food-Because-it-Stresses-me-Out Girl to the bloggers/readers/people who might like to cook who are of the real world... her recepies are TO DIE FOR, they are real, easy to make, and always turn out Delicious!

Go buy her cookbook. I don't have mine yet, as I'm still waiting for delivery, but I know it's going to be good. If you don't want to spend the $, check out her site. The recepies are FREE, archived, and also come accompanied with step-by-step pictures to guide those not so skilled (i.e. ME) along.

I'm a little giddy about my new PJs that are on their way... Thanks American Eagle--Free Shipping, a sale on this and a few other items, and 25% off helped nudge me over the edge on whether or not to purchase this set as well as a few other surprises for myself ;) .


I went a little crazy with the bed time gear tonight and added this to my purchase list. These slippers are fun, warm and comfy (thanks to the reviews), and were only $20.

I've always wanted funky and fun slippers to keep my feet warm. It tends to get uber chilly in just my room during the winter. This year I plan on being prepared!


Last week I went a little eBay crazy and picked up a few items:

• A roll/sample of Calvin Klein Euphoria perfume
• A roll/sample of Clinique Happy To Be perfume -- which really puts me in a happy mood after application
• A tube of Clinique "Black Honey" lipstick -- it's a nice plummy color that according to Real Beauty's Ultimate Lipstick Challenge looks great on all skin types -- and I agree! I'm currently on the eBay hunt for the other shades (available at discounted prices!).
• A pair of Silver skinny jeans -- a Canadian brand that makes GREAT jeans... my 1st pair have yet to fall apart/wear out like any and all other jeans I have ever purchased/worn.

Now I must be off to bed. I've been blessed with the pleasure of pulling a double tomorrow. Hello! 12 to 12... Here I come!

Night!

GIVING THANKS...WITH MINUTES TO SPARE

This year I am quite THANKFUL
for the following:

For the ladies of the Chesapeake Women's Rugby team.
(Who never cease to crack me up or make me smile)

To Uh-Uh
(The strongest and most inspiring woman that I know--
The one who inspires me to dream BIG,
And live to the fullest!)

To the Greatest Brother of all time.
Another inspiration.
I love him a lot.

I'm thankful for the new family I acquired this year.
My life has definitely become more complete with you five running around!
Thanks bro for the additions!
(although I'm still waiting for one more [hint--a GIRL])

Especially this one!
Even though he vomits on me...
I know it's really a sign of true L-O-V-E

Thankful for this guy too...
(Mostly because he's cute and fuzzy)
Even though he smells a little, purrs a lot, and apparently loves Dick more than me... (yeah right!)
I love him a bunch.

I'm really thankful for this guy...
(The one on the right in the mesh shorts.)

He makes me a better person.
Plus, he tells me I'm pretty.

and... He's kinda cute too.

Happy Thanksgiving!

--Chuck!
(The Best Aunt EVER!)

;)