New Year’s Eve Cocktail – Champagne Cosmo

I love champagne! I love the taste, the bubbles and the fun and flirty look of this bubbly drink in a glass. I also love champagne cocktails, and the Champagne Cosmo is one of my favorites. This is a great cocktail for New Year’s Eve, but who am I kidding, I don’t need a holiday to drink champagne. Enjoy!

Champagne Cosmo Cocktail

• 1-1/2 cups cranberry juice cocktail, chilled
• 1/2 cup Grand Marnier
• 3 Tbs. fresh lime juice
• 8 thin strips of lime zest (from 2 limes), each about 1/4 inch
• wide and 3 inches long
• 2 bottles (750 ml) brut sparkling wine or Champagne, chilled

Combine the cranberry juice, Grand Marnier, and lime juice in a small pitcher and mix well. Hold a lime strip over a tall Champagne flute, twist or tie it into a single knot to release the essential oils, and drop the zest into the flute. Repeat with the remaining zest and seven more flutes. Divide the juice mixture equally among the flutes. Top each flute with the sparkling wine (depending on the size of your flutes, you may not need all of the wine). Serve immediately.

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas friends! My prayer is that the serenity of the Holy Night will descend on your family this Christmas!

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. – Romans 15:13

Simple & Easy Stovetop Chicken Pot Pie

I’ve made this recipe several times; it’s quick, easy and delicious! I’ve adapted this Southern Living recipe to include carrots and use a store-bought rotisserie chicken to save time. This recipe serves a lot so, invite your family or friends over and treat them to a new twist on a classic comfort dish!

What’s your favorite comfort food? If you have the recipe, please share.

Ingredients

• 8 frozen buttermilk biscuits
• 1 small sweet onion, diced
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1 (8-oz.) package sliced fresh mushrooms
• 4 cups chopped cooked chicken
• 1 (10 3/4-oz.) can reduced-fat cream of mushroom soup
• 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1/2 (8-oz.) package 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, cubed
• 1/2 (0.7-oz.) envelope Italian dressing mix (about 2 tsp.)
• 1 cup frozen baby peas, thawed
• 1 cup shredded carrots

Preparation

1. Bake biscuits according to package directions.

2. Meanwhile, sauté onion in hot oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat 5 minutes or until golden. Add mushrooms, and sauté 5 minutes or until tender. Stir in chicken and next 5 ingredients; cook, stirring frequently, 5 minutes or until cheese is melted and mixture is thoroughly heated. Stir in peas and carrots, and cook 2 minutes. Spoon chicken mixture over hot split biscuits.

Cardi-again!

I have an obsession with cardigans. My friends, cardigans aren’t just for your 80 year-old grandmother anymore. These versatile and practical pieces are a staple in my wardrobe. They are perfect for layering when the weather and indoor environments can be unpredictable. Casual, dressy, boyfriend, shrug, long sleeve, short sleeve, 3/4 length, patterned, striped, solids, belted, with accessories, you name it…I. Love. Cardigans.

How do you wear your cardigans? What are your favorite colors?

My favorite new black boyfriend cardigan (which I also have in emerald green) from Nordstrom Rack, silver silk blouse from Ann Taylor Loft, Gap  jeans and earrings by Stella & Dot.

Cardigans, even acceptable for brides!

Chic belted cardigans!

Sailor striped cardigans!

The Lovelies List

Welcome to the Lovelies List, where each week I’ll share with you my favorite lovelies from the week.  This week’s lovelies all are centered around the many blessings which I received this weekend for my birthday!  What are your top lovelies from this week?

1.  DC by Moonlight Pedicab Tour — My honey surprised me with a pedicab (think rickshaw) tour of our Nation’s Capital by moonlight. What an amazing way to see the city!

2.  Amazing Manicure — I treated myself to a festive holiday manicure. I love the fun, silver sparkle on the one nail!

3.  Bobby McKey’s — We celebrated the season with Josh’s shift at Bobby McKey’s, a local dueling piano bar. Our friend Neil is an amazing piano player and singer at Bobby McKey’s; he surprised me with a serenade on stage, which was hilarious!

4.  Birthday Blessings — I’m so incredibly blessed with amazing family and friends, who this year generously made my birthday so very special with…dinners, lunches, an LSU hat, purple pashmina scarf, flowers, Narciso Rodriguez perfume, Coach Poppy perfume, lipsticks, massage gift certificate, and an iPad! Thank you everyone for making my day so wonderful!

Vintage Christmas

My favorite holiday movie is White Christmas. Last night I was watching it (again) while wrapping presents and was inspired by the vintage fashion from the movies. Namely, the red lipstick, beautiful a-line dresses, furs and long gloves.

Tebowing!

As an LSU fan, I may ruffle some feathers when I say that I’m a Tim Tebow fan.  Always have been. I thought he was a good football player in college and has surprisingly done very well in the NFL. Aside from his football abilities, I’ve always admired and respected Tim Tebow because of his willingness to share his faith with others on and off the field.

So with the Denver Broncos recent success, Tebow’s faith has been pushed evermore to the spotlight, particularly with what people are calling “Tebowing”.  Tebowing is defined as a verb, meaning to get down on a knee and start praying, even if everyone else around you is doing something completely different. There’s even a website dedicated to people all over Tebowing. I find it encouraging that people are talking more and more about Tebow and his faith. I wish him the best of luck in his career, and would even welcome him as a quarterback of my always disappointing Washington Redskins.  Regardless, his dedication to the Lord is inspiring!

Christmas Memories

What I love about Christmas is hanging the ornaments on the tree and reminiscing about memories from childhood and my adult life. This year I’m not going to unpack the ornaments and hang them on the tree, because for the first time in my thirty-two years, we aren’t getting a Christmas tree. Needless to say, it’s been a little hard to get into the Christmas spirit, since hanging the ornaments is something that I enjoy the most about the season.  While I may not have a Christmas tree and ornaments to reflect upon years past, there are so many other pieces in my decor that remind me of  happy and festive holiday seasons.

Christmas is my favorite holiday, after all it is the most wonderful time of the year! I hope you enjoy some of my Christmas memories. Merry Christmas to you all!

In lieu of a Christmas tree, I decided to hand pre-lit garland around our picture window in our living room and a pine cone and berry wreathe in the center.

Pottery Barn hand painted snowman pillow and Josh’s quiet time quilt. The quiet time quilts are handmade flannel quilts made by mom, a master quilter.

Another handmade creation by my mom, a beautifully quilted tree skirt. This year I used my tree skirt as a centerpiece on my kitchen table, and placed a vase filled with cinnamon scented pine cones, gold, silver and red ornaments in the center (on top of the hole which  the tree trunk normally would be).

My Christmas village is my second favorite part of my holiday decor. My village consists of new pieces and vintage ceramic pieces that my grandmother hand painted.

One of the first pieces that I received to start my village after we got married was the jewelry store with the young man proposing. Off to the right is Josh’s Piano Shop and to the left is a ceramic tree that my grandmother hand painted.

Side French Braid w/ Messy Knot!

As my friends and family know, my hair doesn’t grow. It’s a fact, ask my fantastic hairdresser, Tyler at Elandre Spa.  Recently, I stumbled upon The Small Things Blog and I’ve been inspired to try new styles with my hair. So today I’m sporting what I’m calling the side french braid with messy knot.