Birthday Wish List

It's official, my birthday is less than two weeks away. It all depends on what day you ask me whether or not I'm okay with the idea of turning 30. The one thing I am okay with is dreaming up a list of all the things I'd put on my gift wish list for my birthday. It's completely self fulfilling, I know but it's my birthday and I'll blog about all the gifts if I want to (I hope you heard the song in your head....that was the intention haha).

Cards Against Humanity

I'm all about board games and luckily I have friends that are too. I have yet to be able to play this game but everyone who has raves about it and it looks so funny. Plus, this would give me a great game to play during game night with my friends and laugh our asses off. 

Cast Iron Skillet

I made it to 30 without owning a cast iron skillet. Is that even legal? I have Le Cruset's dutch oven in Caribbean and its one of my favorite pieces of equipment in the kitchen. I think it needs a partner. 

Jewelry Racks

I have been lusting after these jewelry racks on Etsy for a long time. Dave could probably make them but it would take a lot of whining and grovelling on my part first before it happened. 

Kate Spade Glitter Studs

Oh Kate Spade how I adore thee. I haven't had a chance to really talk about it yet but I recently purchased a Kate Spade purse which ended up being quite literally the most perfect purse in the world for me. If you remember a little while back, I was looking for the perfect purse and Kate's bag fit the bill. Anyway, I'm now just slightly obsessed and these studs are looked at on a daily basis. Someday they will be in my ears, someday. 

Sizzix Cutting Machine

There are so many new quilts I could create with this machine, including one that's been bopping around in my head for months. I'll end up purchasing it  in the future if I don't get it soon from someone else anyway, since I need it to create circles and if there's one thing this girl can't do, it's cut a decent circle in fabric. 

Modern Rainbow Quilt Book and Cabin Fever Quilt Book

Quilting books, do I really need to say more? Haha I recently created a rainbow chevron quilt (see it here) and that created a current obsession with creating more colorful, modern quilts. 

Ribbon Ladder

I'm also beginning to create more rompers and bears, both of which require ribbons. I made a makeshift ribbon holder but it doesn't look at organized as this nor does it look as nice. This would look great in my sewing room. 

And there you have it, my birthday wish list! 

Bacon Jam

This year I decided to gift homemade bacon jam to friends and family for Christmas. I mean come one, it's a jam made with bacon! This recipe is very simple, so if you have any last minute gifts that you need to come up with, this would be something you could easily whip up.

I found this recipe last year in Martha Stewart Living and decided that I was going to make it this year for gifts. The one thing that I would have to say about this recipe is that you are going to need a ton  of shallots. If you think you have enough, add another two bags. This jam is delicious with crackers (with or without cheese!), or just eaten right off the spoon! MSL suggests serving it with aged cheddar and crostini which sounds like heaven to me. 

Bacon Jam Recipe, from Martha Stewart Living


What you need:
-1 1/2 lbs sliced bacon cut into 1 inch pieces
-2 cups finely chopped shallots (MSL says 3 large or 8 small shallots will do the trick, it's more like 5 large and 10 small)
-4 small cloves garlic, chopped (about 1 Tbs)
-1 tsp chili powder
-1/2 tsp ground ginger
-1/2 tsp ground mustard
-1/2 cup bourbon
-1/4 cup maple syrup
-1/3 cup sherry vinegar
-1/3 cup packed light-brown sugar

What you do:

1. Spread half of bacon in a single layer in a large skillet, cook over medium heat, stir occasionally until browned. Transfer to paper towels to drain, remove fat and repeat with remaining bacon, reserving browned bits and 1 tablespoon fat in pan.

2. Add shallots and garlic to pan and cook over medium until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add chili powder, ginger, and mustard and cook, stirring together. Increase heat to high, added bourbon and maple syrup. Bring to a boil, scraping up the browned bits. Add vinegar and brown sugar and return to a boil. Add bacon, reduce heat to low, stirring occasionally until liquid reduces to a thick glaze, about 1o minutes. 

3. Transfer mixture to a food processor and pulse until it has the consistency of a chunky jam. Refrigerate in an airtight container at least 1 hour and up to 4 weeks.  

I put the jam in these jars to give out to loved ones for gifts. 

Holiday Wish List

It's that time again! I love creating these wish lists...now if only they (and my fashion board on pinterest) would magically just show up because I created it. 

1. Rose Bowl 

I love the look of flowers in a rose bowl. There's something that's so simple and yet elegant about it to me. Since I'm not currently in a position to buy things that I want "just because" this is one of those things that I would love to have for when Dave brings home flowers, but unless someone gets it for me it won't be a purchase I'll make anytime soon. 

2. Salt/Pepper Jars

I've mentioned how much I love my current salt jar here (and how it makes me feel like an adult). I've been on the hunt for a pepper jar that would match the salt one, but I've been coveting this pair for a few years now. 

3. Skirt

I don't own a ton of cute skirts, but I wish I did. This green skirt is peppered with flecks of yellow and would look amazing with a navy sweater I have. 

4. Horseshoe Necklace

Sign of luck, silver, quaint, goes with just about any outfit, do I need to say more?

5. Boyfriend Pants

Dave bought me a pair of these pants last year for Christmas. They have been in my wash every single week since then. They are by far my most favorite item of clothing, warm, comfortable, I would own 100 of these pants if I could. 

6. Columbia Zenith Jacket

I currently own Columbia's omiheat fleece jacket and I love it. I wear it during the winter months and it's perfect because the omniheat keeps me warm by trapping in my body heat while the fleece allows me to be more mobile (I hate winter jackets that you can't move in!). The only problem with my fleece is that it's definitely a very casual jacket and I'd like to have something that looks nice for when I need to go to special events.

So what are some items on your wish list?

New Parent Gift Ideas

Finding the perfect gift for anyone can be a bit tricky. Finding a great gift that's also convenient for new parents can be even trickier. Hopefully, this post will help you get some ideas of what gifts you could bring to friends (or family) with a new little one.

At the hospital:

The important thing to remember when bringing gifts to the hospital is this: they have a ton of stuff to bring home and, most importantly, a baby. If you want to bring something when the new parents are at the hospital, don't bring balloons or flowers. While they're super nice gestures, the problem with flowers/balloons is that they aren't easy to bring home. So now the new parents are stuck with either throwing away your nice new gifts for them or trying to cart them home with a new baby. Instead try:

- Their favorite drink. My friend Becca just had her daughter and the one thing that anyone that knows Becs can tell you is that she LOVES pumpkin spice coffee. So on my way to visit her, I grabbed some from Starbucks. 

-Their favorite food. General consensus is that hospital food is terrible, but even if it isn't bringing your friend one of her favorite meals is going to make her very happy (well a little happier since she's probably already going to be ridiculously happy about her new baby). 

-Your camera. If you have a nice camera, bring it with you just in case mama didn't think about it, or hasn't had a chance to get some candid new family shots with papa and baby. 

At home:

-A home cooked meal. As in love with baby as the new parents are going to be, they are probably going to be way too tired to make a decent meal, and even if they are capable of making their own dinner, I'm sure they'd be glad to not have to make a meal. Bring them something that's already assembled and can easily be cooked in the oven, or put in the freezer in case dinner is already lined up. May I suggest Chicken and Rice Bake, or Cube Steak (which is still amazing re-heated so just bring it pre-cooked and ready to go!), or Hearty Taco Casserole?

-Something for mom. Everyone is going to be so focused on new baby (which is great!) that Momma may feel neglected. Bringing her something to help her relax, like Bath and Body Works Stress Relief Line or Sleep Spa Line, will make her feel loved and appreciated and will have the added effect of helping her relax a little.

-A personalized card. If you can't visit mama right away, sending her a sweet personalized card would be a really nice surprise. Treat by Shutterfly offers cute new baby cards that can be personalized and mailed out. Plus, if you brought your camera to the hospital with you, you could use pictures from that visit to send the new parents a card they'll cherish.

-Something un-purchased from their registry. Because unexpected gifts that are of necessity are the best. 

What are some things that you've brought new parents? Or, parents, what are some of your favorite received gifts?

Rainforest After Dark Palette

One of the things I purchased when I went shopping with MJ a few weeks ago was Tarte's Rainforest After Dark Palette. 

At $38, I was a little hesitant to purchase the palette, especially since I had just bought several items at Ulta and got an eye shadow palette while I was there. But I loved the blush, and in fact, before I saw it in store I was loving the blush color. Then MJ pointed out that it was a really good value, since the blush appeared to be full sized, which would run $26 on its own, and there are 6 shadows in the palette, which could be the the price of the palette on their own. Plus, I really wanted to check out Tarte's bronzer, Park Avenue Princess. 

I have to say, I absolutely love this palette, love it. I love the bronzer, highlighter and blush trio. The fact that they are all in one spot also means I'm more likely to contour my face on a regular basis instead of just on special occasions, it's more convenient! 

The shadows are gorgeous, and it comes with a card that shows you how to create two different looks from the shadows offered. The picture below is the day time look. 

I seriously cannot praise this palette enough, I highly recommend it! 

Easy Housewarming Gift

A friend of mine recently moved into her own place, I wanted to do something nice for her to celebrate so I stopped at my local Walmart and grabbed a few items to give her a meaningful gift. 

The entire thing cost me just a little over $15 and only took a few minutes to put together. I could have easily spruced up the jar a bit more by adding a ribbon to the handle, or putting a few decorative items inside the jar. For this particular gift, I really wanted to keep it simple.

What I really like about this gift is that you're giving the person things that they may need when they first move into a place, but may not necessarily have readily available. Dish soap and sponges are probably the last thing on anyone's mind when they're moving, but probably one of the first things you need when you're trying to unpack your kitchen (trust me when I say I've moved into plenty of places that needed a thorough scrubbing before I could start storing my own items). And the candle in a relaxing lavender scent is a great way to relax after a long day of unpacking. 

I think the only thing I would have done differently was buy a larger glass jar. I debated between the half gallon and gallon jar and ended up going for the smaller of the two. If I had gone a bit bigger, I could have put the dish soap in the jar with the rest of the goodies and it wouldn't look so much like a side note to the gift. 

Here is the total price for this super simple, but nice gift:

Half gallon glass jar- $4.97

Wash cloth- $1.77

Sponge- $0.96

Candle- $4.97

Dish soap- $2.83

Total spent-$15.50