2 Turkey Day Appetizers...That Also Work for Christmas!

I was originally planning on posting this ish before Thanksgiving, but life and food got in the way and I spent the better part of the last five days battling a serious food coma. But I'm back and better then ever people. And I've got two, super easy to make, appetizers that are sure to be huge hits at any of your holiday gatherings. 

(That is, unless you're Vegan or anorexic and in that case, go find yourself a salad)

First up, Stonewall Kitchen Old Farmhouse Chutney Cheese Ball because let's face it, everyone loves a big old ball o' cheese.

Ingredients:

• 2 - 8 oz.packages cream cheese
• 1/2 cup Stonewall Kitchen Old Farmhouse Chutney (or any chutney you fancy)
• 1/4 cup green onion - diced
• 1 clove garlic - crushed
• dash of salt
• dash of pepper
• 1/2 cup Colby cheese, shredded
• 1/2 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
• 1/2 cup pecans

Directions:

1. Mix together the cream cheese, Old Farmhouse Chutney, scallion, garlic, salt and pepper.
2. Fold in the Colby and Monterey jack cheeses.
3. Form the mixture into a ball and roll it into the chopped pecans.

Dip the delicious mixture of cheese in crackers or apples. Or just f*ck 'em all and dig in with a spoon. 

See, now, wasn't that easy?

Round two, Bacon Wrapped, Goat Cheese Dates

Ingredients:

1. 16 large Medjool dates, pitted
2. 1/4 mild goat cheese
3. 8 slices of bacon (about 7 ounces), halved crosswise
4. Almonds (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400°. Cut a lengthwise slit in the dates. Stuff each one with about 1/2 teaspoon of the goat cheese (and almonds if so desired). Pinch the dates closed. Wrap each date securely in a piece of bacon and arrange the dates, seam side down, on a wire rack set on a baking sheet.    

 2. Bake the stuffed dates for about 20 minutes, or until the bacon is browned and crisp; turn each date after 10 minutes. Serve the stuffed dates warm or at room temperature. 

Pretty ridiculous and indulgent appetizers, eh? But hey now, there's nothing wrong with being a little ridiculous and indulgent. And if you bring these to your party, you will not only be ridiculous and indulgent, but the most popular person there. 

So, in advanced, I say a big, "you are welcome."

Images from: CrumblyCookie.net

I'll Take Care of U

Well, I, won't personally take care of you, sorry. But what will take care of your auditory needs is one of, if not all three versions of the Jamie XX produced song, I'll Take Care of U. The song has lived many lives, with its most recent rebirth facilitated by Drake. Gil Scott-Heron's soulful and gritty version of the song got a serious rework when the incomparable young talent, Jamie XX, percussionist and producer for the band The XX, chose to remix his entire album. Taking the song and adding some serious melody, XX completely changed the essence of the song, making it appealing enough for Drake to want to rap over it.

I'm sure by now most of you have heard the above version by Drake ft Rihanna. I have to hand it to Drake for making the wise (if not the wisest) choice to work with Jamie XX on this particular track. The lyrics are what I believe to be some of his best and Rihanna sounds great too. Drake even knew this song was so good he named the whole freaking album after it. Way to go, Drizzy, way to go.

Then, this happened. 

Florence, the woman with the voice that calls upon the moon, chose to sing her own version of the song. Which in my opinion, is the best of all three versions. Jamie XX's music, Drake's lyrics and Florence's voice make for one hell of a powerful song.

Gil Scott-Heron & Jamie XX

And last but not least, here is the download for the remix that started it all. The more you listen to this song, in any form, the more you like it. Guaranteed.

I'll Take Care of U-Gil Scott-Heron (Jamie XX Remix)

Manish Arora S/S 12

East meets West meets a hallucinogen aptly describes Indian designer, Manish Arora's, flamboyant design aesthetic. Vibrant colors and metallic patterns all wrapped up in a little weirdness, combine to make Arora one of the coolest and most fun designers out there. Arora utilizes traditional Indian techniques such as beading, embroidery and appliques on top of modern, Western silhouttes. Making his clothes all the more unique and interesting. As much as I love his S/S 12 collection above, check out some of his previous works from the past below. These clothes are as bizarre and awesome as they come. 

Spring 2007 London Fashion Week

Spring 2007 London Fashion Week

Pretty weird and pretty amazing ain't it?

Bonobo-Black Sands

English producer, musician and DJ, Simon Green, is better known as Bonobo. The smoothest of operators when it comes to electronic music. His most recent album release, Black Sands, sounds like the soundtrack to an ethereal forest party (mind you, this would be the coolest forest fairy party ever.)  The music is layered and textured, with hauntingly awesome melodies you can't help but groove to. This album has been playing on repeat for awhile now. I can't get enough of it's amazingness. Check it out for yourself. That is if you like forest fairy party music. And if not, well, you're just plain missing out.

*Album Download*

Bonobo-Black Sands

Delicious & Easy, Smoked Salmon Tartine

Simple yet most sophisticated, this recipe takes just all of 5 minutes and you'll feel like you're at the Queen's tea.

 Ingredients

• Smoked Salmon
• Red Onion
• Capers
• Butter
• Orange Marmalade
• Brown Wheat bread

Simply butter the bread, then layer smoked salmon, followed by marmalade. Top tartine with red onion and caper.

Little effort with a lot of flavor! Bon appetite!

HOLY SH*T! THIS IS HUGE!

You probably already know...

but if you've been in hiding and haven't heard the information I am about to tell you, consider yourself lucky. Because girl, the party starts in 3 days and it's happening whether or not you're there. 

So enough with the heightened anticipation and lengthy introduction. The reason we are here today is to inform or remind you, that, Versace (yes, Versace, the brand you probably cannot afford unless you have a trust fund somewhere) is releasing a collection for H & M. 

Clothes will be available in stores on November 19 and include a variety of dresses, prints, shoes and leathers, all taken from and paying homage to Donatella's famous designs. This is as exciting for me as when I found out I was going to have a younger brother...

(oh, c'mon, you know I'm kidding, this is way MORE exciting!)

Here are some of my favorite looks from the collection, but you can view the whole look book at 

http://www.hm.com/us/versace

Can I just take a moment to say how much I am obsessed with the printed paints and leggings. I can't wait to wear a pair of these bad boys. Now the only problem I have is...

Which print do I choose???

DIY Friendship Bracelets...Because We're Totally Like Best Friends

If you thought the days of Friendship bracelets and Pokemon cards were gone, you were right. Well at least about the Pokemon cards. But as far as Friendship bracelets are concerned, they are no longer just for the youth, or for the poor. "High end" Friendship bracelets consisting of the traditional woven string but with added jewel detail are popping up all around town and they are absolutely amazing. And absolutely not cheap. If you're like me and love a little colored nostalgia with sparkles but can't afford a $100.00+ price tag for some yarn and glitter, I've outlined an easy way to DIY.

Last week I went to a Dia de los Muertos festival, which was quite the experience in and of itself. Amongst the array of hydraulic cars and little children (and sometimes their adult counterparts) with skull's painted on their faces, I stumbled upon some very cool and very cheap Friendship bracelets. For a whopping $8.00 I was able to buy the two bracelets pictured above. With a little hot glue, a package of jewels for $3.00 from Michaels, and a needle and thread to sew on a button, I was able to make my very own, fancy shmancy Friendship bracelet. And now, you can too! Just rummage through your old jewelery boxes and I'm sure one of these lanyard bracelets will pop up. If not you're local mall kiosk or Limited Too is sure to have something of the nature.

 First, I sewed a pink jeweled button onto the bracelet so I could use that as a clasp instead of the strings that were originally used to tie the bracelet together. I cut off the strings and hot glued the frayed pieces together to be sure the whole bracelet didn't unravel. 

Next, I strung the jewels through the bracelet, hot gluing the stones on the under part of the bracelet. 

This is the fun part because you can customize the way you'd like the jewels to sit. On the bigger bracelet, I felt that one row of sparkle was not nearly enough. So I added three. 

As you can see, on the smaller bracelet, one strand was enough. Because really, there's just no need to get gaudy.

And, Voila! You have you're very own and very chic Friendship bracelet. All for under $12 bucks.

My favorite part of this trend is that the bracelets look the coolest when they don't necessarily match. So you can take whatever you happen to have or find and embellish it without worry that it might not work together.

*Actually, now that I come to think of it, nothing and no one ever looked cool when they were matching from head to toe. So get wild with all those mismatched prints. No really. Do it.  *

Madeon Madness

 At only 17 years old, French electro-pop/house producer, Madeon, is making waves and gaining acclaim within the EDM scene. French house is a personal favorite style of mine so when I was introduced to this Parisian whiz kid, I immediately took a liking to his style.

*Downloads*

Shuriken-Madeon

Que Veux Tu-Madeon Remix

Pop Culture (live Mashup)-Madeon

Alessandra Rich S/S 2012

 

Italian designer Alessandra Rich is taking the fashion world by storm. Her sophisticated yet youthful design aesthetic is a fresh perspective on modern day elegance. Her clothes define a class act woman with a bit of edge and a hint of subtle sex appeal, even channeling Audrey Hepburn's Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady, only for 2012. One of the highlights of the collection is Alessandra's elegant perspective of the 'sandal/sock' combo. The usual association is of a hippy, wearing Burkenstocks with a white ankle sock. But here, she shows a much more fashionable interpretation of the age old faux pas, pairing colored caged heels with lace socks. Never did I think I would wear a sock with a sandal, but I do believe that this collection gives the green light.

23, A Time to Moisturize?

As much as I'd like to believe I am not getting older and that my skin is not on the verge of aging and degeneration... I would just be lying, to both you lovely people and to myself. The truth of the matter is, is that after the ripe age of 21 your skin turns on you and the reversal of youth begins. Though you might not be able to notice the lack of elasticity, and the wrinkles just yet, they are in fact just around the proverbial corner. To postpone this sad, sad reality there are a couple of preventative measures that can help. Just a couple months ago I started applying Aveeno Smart Essentials moisturizing sunscreen to my face every day. 

Though this seems like an obvious practice to prevent damage and aging, I didn't realize how important it really was until after speaking to my friends who used it daily. Being vigilant about sunscreen now, even in the winter months, will reap the rewards in 10 years, when your friends who didn't use it, all of sudden look like Pam Anderson's leather face and you still look like a spring chicken. (Sigh, the thought of Pammy's skin still makes me terribly sad and uncomfortable.)

L'Oreal Revitalift Night cream has also been my go-to night time moisturizer. With the changing seasons and the painful dryness in the air, I have found that this cream really works well. Not oily or sticky, the moisturizer has made my skin so much softer then I could ever imagine. My skin is basically that of a new-born baby, once again. 

On top of the day/night moisturizing routine, you should always take off your makeup first then wash your face. But I am fun lovin' 23 year old and I understand how difficult maintaining a beauty routine can be, especially when you're coming home from da' club at 3 AM. But if you suck it up and do it, you're skin will be much more forgiving in return. After years of trial and error with face washes, I have come to the decision that Aveeno Skin Brightening scrub is the best. Exfoliating beads can be harsh on your skin, even causing rashes and breakouts. Don't skimp on the few extra dollars for a name brand face wash. I've found that every time I've tried to save a couple bucks on the CVS brand, I deeply regret it. My advice, spring for the Aveeno. 

Since we're talking about beauty products, I wanted to share with you my most prized beauty secret. Drum roll please...

Que in,

Purvana: Hair, Skin and Nails supplement.

I started using Biotin supplements a little over a year ago after I was let in on the secret. Every girl I know would like softer skin, more lustrous hair, and stronger nails. Taking a supplement to achieve these things seems a little far fetched, yes, but I can personally vouch that it actually works. My hair has grown over an extra 8 inches this past year since I started using Purvana. You can find Biotin supplements at your local GNC or any drugstore but they tend to be really overpriced. Therefore, buying them online at 

www.nutritionleaders.com

for a mere $9.25/pack (which includes 30 soft gels) is the way to go. 

*Tip-Take them at night before you go to bed because that's when your hair grows*