Deal of the Day: "Let Them Be Little" print by Hello Maypole

A few creative, and clever designers have teamed up with Brickyard Buffalo. They are using their creative powers for good to benefit the victims' families of the Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy.

 

One of my pals Aubry, of Hello Maypole created this darling print.

 

The best part, Its only 5 dollars! Come on, people that's a steal! Throw a frame around that bad boy, and you have a perfect gift for just about any parent, teacher, whomever on your list.

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Holiday Gift Guide 2012: The Bookworm

I'm pleased to have my good friend Alice of I'm so funny, be my guest post for "The Bookworm" I used to read alot. I really should pick that habit up again. Alice is the only person I know that reads religiously. We go way back. My favorite pastime was to make her laugh so hard she would almost pee her pants. It may or may not have happened. I'll never tell. Thanks Alice!

 

The Best Ever Christmas buyers guide to books, 2012

I qualify to write this post

as I have already bought three books

(that didn't make the list)

to give away for Christmas this year.

I love books.

I personally think they are the perfect gift

for everyone.

I love to give them but get downright giddy to receive.

I based my list by who you gotta buy for

cause we all know that's how we do our Christmas shopping.

Here it goes:

Him

The Racketeer by The Grish

(It's a couple dollars cheaper on the Kindle)

If you want to go even cheaper find one of my favorites by Grisham

his first book "A Time to Kill", published in 1993, you can probably find it cheap online.

Her

On Little Wings by Regina Sirois

Read this amazing story about how Regina's book was picked up by Penguin Publishing.

I was privileged to review this book when it was just a little self-published thing and I loved it.

Grandma

The Rent Collector by Camron Wright

My brother lent this to me earlier this year.

Wonderful wonderful story

and the heroine is an elderly lady.

It's a story of a heroine that lives in a Cambodian dump.

Your grandma will LOVE it.

And so will you.

Grandpa

 

The TimeKeeper by Mitch Albom

I haven't read this but Albom always delivers

and this has a 4 star rating on good reads

so I am sure it is good.

The story focuses on a theme grandpas

surely reflect on: time.

Teenage Boy

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

The movie is coming out and it supposed to be GREAT.

This book has 5 star ratings and is all the rage at

the Therapeutic Boarding School where I work.

Boys have been bringing lists to me of books they want to read

that were mentioned in this book.

This modern book could start your teenage son

on a journey into the classics.

Teenage Girl

Uglies by Scott Westerfield

Great story. I loved it. My teenage daughter is reading it now.

Go for the box set. All 4 books are wonderful.

Big Girl

Diary of a Wimpy Kid, The Third Wheel by Jeff Kinney

My older younger girls love these books.

Start with the first one or buy them this latest.

Big Boy

The Mark of Athena by Rick Riordan

My girls also love these books and so do their

friends who are boys.

Anything by Rick Riordan is great.

Start with the Percy Jackson series

and then move onto this one.

Only buy this book if they've read the others in the series.

Little Girl

My First Library by Eric Carle

My favorite of all time.

All toddlers love the illustrations

and rhyming text.

These books are not only engaging

but super educational

teaching little ones colors, alphabet, and shapes.

Little Boy

Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site by Sherri Duskey Rinker

Haven't read it, but is has high reviews and really how can it go wrong with tractors?

He Friend

The Host by Stephenie Meyer

This sci-fi is a great thriller and it will make a great gift

as the movie is coming out this year

and it's bound to be great.

And I am a firm believer

that you never see the movie

until you read the book.

This adult novel is NOTHING like

the Twilight series.

If it was I would never recommend it.

She Friend

The Casual Vacancy by JK Rowling

I haven't read it yet so I am a little nervous

to recommend it, but I WANT it

and most any woman who has loved Harry Potter

will be at least curious as to what JK has to offer

in an adult novel.

That being said, it's only received 3.5 stars

and my librarian though to warn me of the

adult themes.

You may want to read up on it

before gifting. (Update: I just started this book and there is a lot of language and a friend told me she quit reading because of all the sex.) So sad.

Here's an alternative:

Daring Greatly by Brene Brown

I cannot say enough good things about the powerful piece of non-fiction.

Everyone should read it, and it's on Katie Couric's 2012 gift guide.

The Whole Family

The Best Chrismas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson

My favorite Christmas gift of all time.

I have the copy my Aunt Shirley gifted to our family

many years ago.

I have given away many copies myself.

It's so fun to read out loud together as a family.

Great touching and comical Christmas story.

The best.

Merry Christmas y'all.

Happy Book giving.

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Holiday Gift Guide 2012: What to buy the Fashionista with Aubry

I'm over the moon, about my guest post holiday picks! Aubry and I met at BYU-I, and shared a love of playing in makeup during class. Check her out her blog: Practically Perfect in Every Way

Don't let the name fool you. She is the nicest, sweetest, coolest, wish she was your neighbor kinda gal. She has the best fashion sense, I know. Like, "how did you put that together?" "Can I please raid your closet" kinda gal.  She can also be found at Hello Maypole

 

 

anyone who knows me well - or has shopped with me on a Saturday afternoon knows that i just love things. all kinds of things. i don't care where we end up in - the skater shop, hot topic, anthropologie duh, REI, the makeup counter... whatever it might be... i'm sure to find something i like (read: want. i mean, need.) except the lotion and body spray store. no amount of exposure could make me wish for more sun-ripened raspberries or moonlight paths (that's a smell these days), in my life.

but clothes..... ohhhhh clothes. clothes are my precious jewel. i can't think of a more present way to declare my individuality than to show it from head to toe! to celebrate the season (the cold, wintery, layer-me-up one) here's a few of my favorite picks... any of you are welcome to buy me these. the list includes highs and lows, for those of us who are trying to pinch some pennies this crazy 2012.

trenton boot: $36.99
(6pm is quickly becoming my new favorite shoe stop on the Internet.)

collarless coat - $44.99
(target's really working it out this year...)

 

 

 

riding boot: $199
(watch piperlime's deals. they've always got something good going on!)

the six shooter: $199
(rivet and sway is the new warby parker. in blue!)

 

 

opaque tights: $15
(I've been wearing tights since i was 3 weeks old. that's 1,612 Sundays, as well as a few Wednesdays and Thursdays for good measure. THESE are the most comfortable, perfectly colored tights on the market. tried and true.)

 

 

polka dot popover: $64.50
(j.crew never fails me. the factory outlet is now regularly available online... who's product i sometimes like more than the regular store.)

 

 pear sweater: $98
(.... that's not to say I'm above an extra special something from the real j.crew.)

heart of gold bangle: $32
(not very much for something so sweet)

 

 

the brunhilde bag: $289
(donna and i share a deep love of george gina and lucy bags. and don't think i didn't do a couch jump when i saw one slung across the upper west side girls on gossip girl.)
(also. i'm going to sell the handbag of my past for this one. the colorrrrrrrs)

 

 

 

legging cords: $59.95
(they're $59.95 now, but next time you're walking past the gap at the mall, they'll be sure to have a 40% off or bogo denim sale.. and before you know it they're $9.95. it's happened to me one hundred times before.)

 

 

back up battery: $39.50
(accessories are necessary. and anymore, there's no excuse for ugly accessories.)

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Five Pantry Items I Can't Live Without

I'm a planner. A HUGE planner. I rarely go off the beaten path with my schedule....except in the kitchen. Its one of the few places that I fly by the seat of my pants. Mostly, because I have a well stocked pantry. Most of the time.  Here is my Fab Five of the kitchen:

 

Onions

Growing up I hated onions! Now, I can't imagine a meal without them. They are inexpensive, come in different colors and varieties. You can caramelized them, dice them and throw them in a salad, or roast them. The possibilities are endless. I always keep yellow, and red onions on hand.

 

 Garlic

In my opinion everything is better with garlic. Together with onions you're pretty much unstoppable. A low calorie combination that packs a punch of robust flavor.

 

 Sea Salt

Look for some with a little bit of color. A grayish hue. I season everything with sea salt. Little goes a long way people! Plus you get a little bit of minerals too.

 

Olive Oil

This is my go-to oil. I use it for everything. sauteing, baking, caramelizing, you name it. Try to look for cold pressed-organic-extra virgin. Cold pressed (chemical free,and higher quality) I get mine at Costco for about 10 bucks.

 

Dried Oregano

Great little herb for seasoning a lot of things. I mostly use mine for poultry and vegetables.

 

"That sounds great Donna, but what can I do with that?" Well, lemme show ya.

 

 

Oven Roasted Vegetables

 

I use this as a go-to for when I need to use up the veggies before they go bad because I hate wasting food kind of week

 

Ingredients

Potatoes

The fab five

Carrots

cracked pepper

 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Wash and dice carrots,potatoes, and onions. Place veggies in a roasting pan. Sprinkle oregano liberally over the veggies. Sprinkle a small amount of salt and pepper. Place in oven for 35-40 mins. During the last 10 minutes place minced garlic and mix among the veggies. Enjoy!

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Holiday Gift Guide: For the Beauty Junkie

Over the next few weeks I'll be sharing a few of my favorite things for holiday gifting. (if Oprah can do it why can't I?)  First up, The Beauty Junkie. The best part? All of these are under 50 bucks!

             

1. e.l.f  Mineral Face Primer

I first got introduced to this via my fab friend Aubry. I've used a lot of different primers from high end Sephora pics, to the cheaper drugstore stuff. This stuff takes the cake! Its so smooth and smells alright. I'm in LOVE! For six bucks that ain't bad. You can score this stuff at Target.

 

2. Sephora by OPI Tinsel Town

The best thing about this is you get 16 mini colors. An assortment of best-sellers, trend shades, and the basic necessities. I got one a few years ago. It was nice to try and not commit to a full bottle. 49.50 in Sephora stores, and Sephora.com

3. Kiss brand Gradation Polishes.

OK so I like nails. I found this set at Walmart, but other stores may have it as well. At walmart is was 6.87. The thing I like about this look is when it is done it looks fabulous! Ombre effect with little effort. It comes in Gold, Black, and a Aqua color.

4. Make Up For Ever Camouflage Creme Pallet

Being darker skinned I've had a hard time finding concealer that will do what I need it to do, match my skin tone, and not irritate my skin. A little more than I wanted to spend at 38.00 this stuff is worth its weight in gold. I use the number 4 pallet. It also comes in number 1 for fair to light skin tones, and number 2 for light to medium skin tones. You don't just have to use it for concealer though. I use a few colors as a base for my eyeshadow, some to highlight under my brow bone, and some to contour my face. I've had mine for over a year now, and its showing no signs of running out. (And I use it almost everyday) Sephora stores or Sephora.com

 

5. Lighted magnified mirror.

I'm not sure what this brand is ( I already got rid of the box) but I got it at Costco. It was around 15.00 which is a steal, if you've ever priced magnified mirrors. Can I tell you really does make a difference between leaning over a bathroom sink to apply makeup, versus using a lighted magnified mirror. World of a difference people! Get thee to Costco ASAP.

 

Hope you've enjoyed the first installment of my Holiday Gift Guide 2012. Stay tuned for more!

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Its the final countdown!

So if you are still searching for some last minute Thanksgiving recipes, here is a recap of my top two crowd please-ers. Definitely guaranteed to win over the most finicky eaters ;)

In case you missed it the first time around, THE BEST cranberry sauce you ever did eat. Total time about 10 mins.

Heaven in the mouth sweet potato casserole. THE CASSEROLE TO END ALL CASSEROLES. I dare you to tell me you don't love it. Seriously. No, really.

And let me know what you think of the new blog design! Happy Thanksgiving y'all!

xoxo Donna

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And You Thought People Only Watched Men's Diving to Stare at The Six Packs

Hope you guys are enjoying The Games as much as I am. I came across this on my friend Annie's facebook page.  It was the best. part. of. my. day. seriously. I don't know where it came from so don't come suing me if you are the original owner. Men's faces mid-dive.

I thought this was a good one too. No disrespect to Her Majesty's....but ya do kinda look like President Snow. Just sayin......

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