Oatmeal Cookies

I inherited my passion for baking cookies from my grandma Audrey, along with all of her recipes. Her oatmeal cookies were one of her most-loved recipes, and the one that my dad requests the most often. They are chewy, flavorful, and always sentimental for me to bake.

Ingredients

2 1/2 sticks of butter, softened

1/2 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 egg

1 1/2 cup flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

3 cup oats

*optional: 1 cup chopped walnuts

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In an electric mixer, combine butter and sugars. Add egg and vanilla, beat well. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt. Gradually add to mixture. Pour in oats until thoroughly combined. Add nuts, if desired. I use a cookie scoop to make dough into uniform 1-inch balls, otherwise use a teaspoon to place on a non-stick cookie sheet about 1 inch apart. Bake for 8-9 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Cool on a wire rack before storing. Enjoy with a glass of milk or a scoop of vanilla ice cream!



Gift Wrapping

I am one of the few people that actually enjoy wrapping gifts - I even wrap my own once they are in a closed box! I love getting creative and making each gift unique and special with different wrapping paper & ribbon, and add a little festive touch such as an ornament or poinsettia flowers. Check out a few of my favorite wrapping decorations below.

{red accents}
 reindeer wrapping paper + poinsettia flowers

{rustic}

evergreen fair isle wrapping paper with a burlap bow & pinecones

{metallic}

subtle metallic wrapping paper + a glitzy ornament as a bow

Currently Obsessed

{Sam Edelman "Petty" Leopard Booties}

I've never been a big leopard kinda girl, although I find the animal print to be very chic in small doses such as a clutch or scarf. I had been on the hunt for a leopard statement piece to add to my wardrobe and I fell in love as soon as I spotted these Sam Edelman "Petty" booties! They are perfect for adding a pop to a neutral outfit and will look just as great with jeans & a striped tee as they would with a dress & leather jacket. I scored this pair online on Black Friday but have to wait until Christmas to wear them (Thanks Mom!) Be on the look out for outfit posts featuring these beauties next month!

LBDs for Holiday Parties

There is nothing more classic or chic than a little black dress. LBDs are perfect for upcoming holiday parties! They are super versatile and there are so many options that are far from basic! Oasap is a great place to find that standout dress at an affordable price - Oasap is an online store featuring high-street fashion. They offer women's apparel, accessories, shoes, jewelry & beauty products (and free shipping!) I've rounded up a few of my favorite LBDs from Oasap that work for a variety of holiday parties below!

{Velvet}

 

I love velvet for winter! This velvet LBD looks so luxurious and the sleeve coverage balances out the cut outs along the bodice. A vampy lipstick would be the perfect compliment to this look.

{Lace}

You can never go wrong with a scalloped lace LBD. This one is great for work holiday parties since it's a little more covered up. Just add a red shoe for a festive pop of color!

{A-Line}

The plunging neckline on this backless A-line mini makes it anything but boring! I'd pair it with pointy-toe pumps and an arm full of bangles to keep the look simple and let the dress make a statement.

{Maxi}

The thigh-high slit keeps this wrap maxi dress sexy in an understated way. Grab a pair of lace-up heels and work on your best Angelina Jolie pose for photos!

{Sequin}

A little sparkle is always a good idea during the holidays! This strapless sequin frock is so fab and the ideal dress for New Year's Eve!

{Boho}

I love the gypsy vibe of this flowy chiffon maxi dress. The subtle print lends a bohemian touch to the sheer fabric. Add a pretty gold embellished headband & you're party-ready!

{Jumpsuit}

The little black jumpsuit is the new little black dress! This sleek jumpsuit with lace detail is undeniably chic and works for so many different occasions, even after the holiday season.

Thank you to Oasap for sponsoring this post. All thoughts & opinions are my own.



{DIY} Holiday Wreath

Remember the autumn wreath I made here? Well, I refreshed a few of the elements to turn it into a holiday wreath by using a couple things from our Christmas decorations and gift wrapping box! I simply swapped the burlap bow for a red velvet ribbon with gold beaded trim, and added a few poinsettia flowers. I kept the gold-dipped pinecones but framed them with some clippings from our Christmas tree to give them a festive update. I love how the end result turned out and the best part: it was totally free to re-create!

Brussels Sprout, Quinoa & Cranberry Salad

After almost a week of eating Thanksgiving leftovers, I was craving something light & fresh. I came across this brussels sprout, quinoa, cranberry & pecan salad on Pinterest (where else?!) I followed the original recipe via Gimme Some Oven, which is so easy to throw together! The orange dressing is delicious and really brings out the flavor of the dried cranberries! I had never tried a brussels sprout salad but absolutely loved it! I will definitely be making versions of this salad in the future - a few slices of avocado take it to another level!

Ingredients

Salad

1 pound Brussels sprouts, rinsed, ends trimmed, cut in half then thinly sliced lengthwise

2 cups cooked quinoa

1 cup dried cranberries

2/3 cup chopped pecans, toasted

Orange Dressing

1/4 cup fresh-squeezed orange juice

1/4 cup olive oil

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

pinch of salt & pepper

Directions

Salad

Toss all ingredients together until combined.

Dressing

Whisk all ingredients together.

Orange Crush

I am so excited to share my newest collaboration with Choies! The fashion website is a perfectly curated assortment of on-trend clothing, shoes & accessories at an affordable price. There are so many amazing pieces, it was pretty hard to narrow down my order, but as soon as I came across this orange drawstring bucket bag (only $30!), I knew it had to be mine! It adds such a fun pop of color and the bright yellow lining is my favorite eye-catching detail! I also scored this white off-the-shoulder v-back sweater (now on sale - under $20!) which is super cozy and gives off that effortless girl-next-door vibe.

White Off-The-Shoulder V-Back Sweater - Choies c/o

Denim Flares - Zara (also worn here)

Orange Drawstring Bucket Bag - Choies c/o

Blue Mirrored Sunglasses - Ray-Ban (last seen)

Tortoise Watch - Michael Kors

Lipstick - MAC "vegas volt"

Nail Polish - Sally Hansen "navy baby"

 

 

Huge thank you to Choies for sponsoring this post! All thoughts & opinions are my own.