Christmas Festivities

So now that Christmas is over I wanted to share a few items that I made for my family.  I hosted my and my husbands family and since this was our second year doing this I felt like I had to outdo myself and make it different than last year. 

Over the course of 5 days we made quite a few meals, breakfast, lunch and dinner.  However Christmas day was truly an extravaganza!

Our breakfast was a cinnamon crumb cake, Paula Deen's french toast casserole, yum, fruit salad with vanilla pudding, fresh bagels and pomegranate mimosas.  

I made quite a few appetizers in between breakfast and dinner to keep everyone from getting too hungry.  I made a baked spinach, artichoke and feta dip with pita chips, roasted tomatoes with fresh basil, mozzarella, basically caprese on a stick.  I also made a roasted cranberry crostini which was to die for. I forgot to take a picture of my Cheese Ball. It was awesome and I made it twice during the holiday season.  

For dinner my brother-in-law helped me set the table.  He is beyond talented.  We used floating candles with fresh pine, cranberries and cinnamon sticks.  I used a plaid tablecloth and a burlap runner.  ( If you read my last post you would see I used burlap with everything :)) We used our Kate Spade China plates, 2 different patterns, and then 2 different napkins.  We folded the napkins with bakers twine, candy canes and cinnamon sticks.  

For the dishes, I forgot to take a picture of the delicious honey baked ham. We also made roasted brussel sprouts, crushed walnuts, blue cheese and olive oil.  Then a quinoa salad with pomegranate, fresh mint, cucumber, and feta.  Then the classic mashed potatoes. 

Lastly for dessert, again, forgot to take a picture, Ooops.   I made amazing peppermint brownies, peanut butter cookies and a no bake cheesecake.  

That's all I've got for Christmas. Did you make anything wonderful for your holiday?  I hope everyone had an amazing holiday and all the best for a happy, healthy, new year!

XO,

GG 

Christmas Decorations

I love the Christmas Season and decorating for my family is one of my favorite things to do.  Our tree was inspired by the Pottery Barn Catalog.  We got the catalog in October, ridiculous, and I thought, "this is what I want our tree to look like this year, but I can make it my way". 

 I used burlap that I had purchased and cut it into 5 inch strips.  Then wrapped it around the tree. It actually doesn't go all the way around but I don't think you can tell.  Then I used the leftover strip to make a bow for the top.  I really like how it turned out.

I was going to stop there but I had some extra burlap.....  So I decided I wanted to make a banner and a table runner.  I went on Etsy and saw some ideas for different banners.  I decided to do a hybrid of two different ones.  Here was my inspiration

I cut out the burlap using a pattern made from cardboard.  Then I made the stencils for the letters of "Be Merry".   I used Martha Stewart fabric paint for the letters and polka dots and then used spray tacky glue to stick it on the ribbon.     I kind of like how mine turned out better! 

What do you think?? What do your Christmas decorations look like??

                                                            XO,

                                                            GG 

Seasonal Recipes

We have been hosting guests a lot this season and it has given me a chance to perfect some new fall recipes. I thought I would share them with you. They all turned out really well!

Pumpkin pancakes

Ingredients
1 Container of multi-grain pancake mix from trader joes
1 can of organic pumpkin
1/2 tbsp. of nutmeg
1/2 tbsp. of cinnamon

Add in the ingredients from the box ( 1 egg for waffles and 2 eggs for pancakes) as well as oil ( I used coconut oil instead.
Combine all ingredients in a bowl
Pour them out as pancakes or waffles

Glazed sweet potatoes

http://www.reynoldskitchens.com/easy-recipes/recipe-items/honey-roasted-sweet-potatoes/

Above is the link to the recipe, they were so good, almost a dessert rather than a side.

• Ingredients
• 4 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1/4 cup of extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup of honey
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. 
2. Spread the potatoes out on a cookie sheet lined with Reynolds® Parchment Paper. 
3. Sprinkle the oil, honey, cinnamon, salt and pepper over the potatoes and cook for 30 minutes.
4. Once they are cooled scoop them onto a serving dish and devour!  

Fall apple medley  

Ingredients

4 apples ( I used red delicious) chopped with skin on 

1 tbsp. of cinnamon
1 tbsp. of nutmeg
1 tsp. of vanilla 

Combine all apples, nutmeg and cinnamon in a skillet.  Cook on medium heat until the apples are to your liking.  ( I like mine well done) and then add the vanilla.  Toss apples around until they are coated in vanilla.


Enjoy!  

Hot Chocolate Race

So I ran my very first half-marathon last year....the Chicago Spring Half Marathon.  I am NOT a runner, and even after running it I still don't really consider myself a runner.   I decided to run initially to challenge myself to do something I have never done before and wanted to do something physically exhausting. Since that race, I have not done a lot of running.  So the Hot Chocolate 5k/15k was coming up and I thought, why not do another race?  I decided to do the 5k only, and the decision was 2-fold. My friends were doing it who don't generally run, and my husband was doing who NEVER runs.  In anticipation I did run the 3.1 miles twice two weeks before, and then the week before.  I was surprised to find that my body was able to get back in the groove of running with relative ease.  It was not very challenging to discover my rhythm again.  The day of the race was a beautiful, clear day.  Chilly, but no rain or snow to be seen.



























I have to say it turned out really well! I am pleased with the experience overall and excited to have run my first ever race with my husband.  It didn't hurt that the end of the race had a delicious chocolate fondue and fun things to dip into it.  It was the best end of a race I've ever seen and the smell was amazing!

Have you ever done anything as a team with your spouse or significant other? 

                                                          XO,

                                                          GG

Follow me on Bloglovin

Bloglovin is a new tool to follow your favorite blogs.  I am just beginning to use it and understand it. Here is a link to try and download the mobile app.   Have you tried it out yet?


<a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/11163851/?claim=hprud7zpk8p">Follow my blog with Bloglovin</a>

Dancing like nobody is watching

I am a dancer, correction, I was a dancer. I have danced my entire life....until I graduated from college and stopped. When I moved back to Chicago I started doing all sorts of things and dancing just wasn't one of them. I have tried over the last 5 years half-heartedly, to get back into it but I hadn't found anywhere that I really loved. I took several classes; some that I could have done in my sleep,  and several advanced classes that I was way too embarrassed to ever go back to.  Cue, All About Dance in Old Town.

This was one place I had never tried but had heard awesome things. Friends of mine who were on dance team with me in high school and college had recommended it to me many times but I never got around to trying it, until last night. I'll admit I was nervous, I was wondering if I had lost all my skills. Deep breath...

I took the adult cardio class. This was a combination of excersice with abs, arms and stretching. Then we learned a dance routine quickly and practiced it over and over to different tempos and new hit songs. I had a blast! And bonus, I am sore today! Not only am I excited to be back at dancing but I got an awesome workout in the process. It has inspired me not to put off something I love doing again. Wednesday is a ballet class, one of my all time favorite types of dance, and I think I'm going to try it next!

Have you ever re-ignited your passion for something??  

                            XO,

                            GG

Fall into fashion finds

So if you're like me, you absolutely love summer but are looking forward to Fall fashions. I had the opportunity to visit the new Fashion Outlets of Chicago to score some new items for Fall. Overall I was really impressed with the mall. It is clean, well organized and parking couldn't be easier. Some of my favorite stores were All saints, Last call Nieman Marcus, Tory Burch, J. Crew Factory and Bloomingdales the outlet. Most of the stores had a good selection but only a few felt like you we're really getting a deal. All Saints was one if those. Not only did they have a huge selection of clothes but they were actually reasonable! A fully beaded sequin top, $98. A distressed leather jacket, $495. I didn't buy anything but I plan on purchasing next time.

Tory Burch was my next stop, they had a great selection of shoes and clothes. I wound up scoring two pairs of flats, and a headband. The flats were about 30% cheaper than I've seen anywhere else! Around $165 for the Reva flats and $100 for the Eddie folding flats. The black patent ones are currently being sold at Nordstrom! The headband I wound up taking back because it didn't fit my head but it was $45.  

The last stop was the Bloomingdales outlet store.  A great selection of dresses, shoes and accessories. All at a fraction of the regular price. I wound up with a new pair of Rachel Roy booties for $170 and a L. K. Bennett dress for $200.  Amazing!!

Hooray for great deals! Have you guys visited the outlets recently? Found anything good??

                                                                   XO, 

                                                                   GG

Showers of Happiness!

One of my very best friends is having a second child and this time, it is a girl! She already has a sweet little boy, who is adorable and was also my ring bearer. :) I was so thrilled to help host a "Sprinkle" in her honor.  We held it in a wonderful room at Bravo!  We decided to go with the Mommy-to-be's favorite style; shabby chic.

We used burlap runners, ribbon and handmade floral centerpieces. There were also handmade place cards with vintage fabric and buttons.  We also used pink straws which made the table fun and whimsical. 

For the prizes, I handmade chocolate chip cookie jars using ball jars, ribbon, and fabric. I included all the dry ingredients and all the winners had to do was add the refrigerated ingredients. 

I created a handmade burlap "It's a girl" pennant, as well as the tissue pom poms to use as decoration.  She is going to hang the pennant again at their home when the baby arrives.  :)

We had a gorgeous ruffle cake handmade by the Mommy-to-be's friend. I also created a calendar with her due date where people could stamp when they thought the baby would be born and sign their names.  This served as the guest book and decor for the future nursery. 

We also used the Mommy-to-be's old baby clothes as decor for the gift table. 

It was truly a beautiful shower and everything turned out really well! I had a lot of fun creating the handmade elements. I think it made it really special and the Mommy-to-be to be absolutely loved it, which is what really counts. 

Have you ever thrown an event you were really proud of?? 

                                                                    XO, 

                                                                    GG

Hair Trial how-to

Hi there! So as I was getting ready for work this morning I was attempting to do my hair and it was not cooperating with me. Then inspiration hit me, why not try a braid? I have always been relatively handy with doing my own hair and I wear a braid every once and awhile. But I decided to step out of my relative braid comfort zone and attempt a braid wreath. Apparently this is a big trend for fall and I wanted to see if I could replicate it.   

Inspiration is Scar Jo. 

I think it actually turned out really cute and I got a TON of compliments on it. We are having dinner with friends this evening and I think I'm going to continue to rock it then! I attached a little tutorial for those of you who want to brave it also.

1. Do a regular French braid across the top of your head. Starting as far over as you can. 

2. Continue the braid down the side of your head and then all down the bottom of your head. 

3. Make a long ponytail of a braid down the opposite side of your head. 

4. Turn the braid and pin it back up to the top of your head to complete the braid. Tuck it up under the top braid and secure with bobby pins. 

                             I'd love to hear your feedback if you try it!! Good luck! 

                                                                   Xo,

                                                                   GG 

Bean Town!

I had the opportunity to visit a good friend in Boston and wanted to share a few details from our trip. We visited a lot of the historic landmarks in the city such as bunker hill, the site of the Boston massacre and Paul Reveres home. I had no idea that Boston was such a walking-friendly city, it's great! 

We saw so many sites in Boston, some of my favorites included the infamous Cheers, Harvard and drinks at the Liberty Hotel.  The hotel is an old jail, converted into 3 different bars and as well as hotel rooms. 


We also had some amazing seafood meals! Boston's food was delicious. We had dinner at one of the best seafood restaurants in Boston, Legal Seafood.  It was right on the water and we were even treated to fire works while we were eating.

I can't wait to visit the East Coast again soon!

Has anyone been to Boston? What were some of your favorite things? 

XO, 

Gilded Girl

Birthday Celebrations!

This week I had the best celebration of the year, my birthday! My girlfriends and I attended the Art Institute's event of Impressionism, Fashion, and Modernity cocktail party.  We dressed in the attire of the night which was sheer and summery, then headed to Pops for Champagne for some bubbly and dinner.  We ended the night at The Underground Club.  It's not normally my style but drinking a bottle of Vueve Cliquot anywhere is pretty much my cup of tea! It was a wonderful night and it makes me so thankful for my fantastic friends.  

Here is a picture of the invitation I made using Paperless Post.  It is such a cute site and I love to use it for a variety of things!

Some pictures from the night. 

On my actual birthday my husband and I went to Bavette's for a beautiful dinner.  He always takes me somewhere special and gives the best gifts! This year was no exception.   I also got some spectacular presents from all the special people in my life.   I even got flowers delivered to my school from my wonderful sister and husband.  It was wonderful!! 

What do you do to celebrate your birthday??  What is your favorite gift?  

XO,

Gilded Girl

About Me

Hi Friends!

 I am the Gilded Girl. This is a collection of my thoughts and interests and all around lifestyle. It is food, crafts, fashion and fun. It is ever changing, just like me! I hope you enjoy! 

XO

A visit to the iconic Macinack Island

Hi Everyone! I recently got back from Macinack island and wanted to share a few things that we did there.

For those of you who have never been, Mackianck is a cute island off the coast of Northern Michigan.  It is about 8 miles around and allows no vehicles on it.  Visiting the island is like taking a step back in time.  There are only horse and buggies, and bicycles allowed and you need to take a Ferry ride to get to the island.   This is the view that greats you when they ferry pulls into the harbor.

One of the true gems of the island is the iconic Grand Hotel.  Established in 1887 the hotel is almost on top of the hill in Macinack and has amazing views.  

We had some delicious dinners on this island.  One of my favorites was broiled white plank fish, as well as a few cocktails!

 The beautiful bridge in Macinack, it signals that you are getting close and especially awesome to see up close from a boat.

 This is the Macinack yacht club, very nautical and quaint.

I chose to stay in a quaint bed and breakfast right on the island.  They offered a continental breakfast in the morning that was absolutely perfect.  Each room was decorated differently although all had a similar motif of paisley and a victorian-esque theme.  I woke up pretty early each day I was there and had some time to reflect, read and enjoy the slow pace of the Island as everyone was waking up.

If you ever have the chance I highly suggest visiting Macinack.  It islike taking a step back in time and there are a ton of things to do there.    Have you ever visited Macinack or anywhere that you felt completely removed from modern ways? 

XO,

GildedGirl

Delving into some DIY

So the end of summer is fast approaching and I don't know about you but I had a to-do list a mile long at the beginning of summer and I realllly didn't get as much done as I wanted! This project had been on my list for awhile and I wanted to share it with you guys.  

So we inherited these rod iron outdoor seats which used to look wonderful.  However, after being outside for the last 3 years, they needed an overhaul.  

I was planning on removing the entire cushion, however the screws were rusted closed. Bummer! 

So, rather than giving up, I decided to work around them and rip off the old fabric and cover it with the new.  Easier said than done.  I ended up having to rip off the rusted staples holding the fabric down on the base of the chair.  This took awhile but it was the only way I could make it work.  

Once those were done, I cut the fabric to fit around the base of the chair.  I then proceeded to attempt to use the staple gun on the base of the chair.  Again, easier said than done. 

After several failed attempts with the staple gun, I got kind of frustrated and ended up having my husband do it! He's the muscles in the family! 

In the end I think they turned out really well.  I was thinking about changing the color of the chair by painting them as well but I decided I liked the way they looked without it!

\

Tonight we will be enjoying a glass of wine in our newly updated chairs! Have you done any DIY projects that you needed someone to rescue? 

XO,

Gilded Girl

Pretending I'm a California Girl: Part 2

Phase two of my California trip.  We had a lot of recommmendations of places to go and this second post is about the rest of the trip.  One of the areas we explored was called Abbot Kinney.  This is an area near Venice Beach filled with great art, stores and restaurants.  

One of the examples of art we saw there!

There was a really neat vintage and reclaimed artifacts store called Tumbleweed and Dandelion (how adorable is that name?!)  Everything in there is American made and really beautiful!   

We also ate at several restaurants including the famous Lemonade! I had a mint and cucumber lemonade, fantastic!  They also had a delicious sprinkle cake! 

To end the day we had a delicious meal at a restaurant called The Tasting Kitchen.  The food was delicious but I loved the decor more.  Amazing dishes and flatware as well a tree growing in the middle of the restaurant.  Yes, a tree!! It was as much of an experience as a meal. 

We did a lot of other things, and saw a lot of other places but these were some of my favorites so I wanted to share them.   I love unique restaurants and shops and this area had a ton of that! Has anyone else been to this area and really enjoyed it? I can't wait to go back to CA!

XO,

Gilded Girl