My Ninja Look

Cannot get enough of these faux leather pants! 

Top: Nordstrom (similar here and loving this top here)Pants: Zara (similar here) Shoes: Kate Spade Watch: Coach Necklace: J.Crew (similar here -30% off entire purchase with code GIFTNOW

Not the best picture quality, but wanted you to see the great zippers on the back of these!

Sunday Crafting

I made these placemats earlier today. The table needs a tablecloth but until I find the right one, I thought these gave the plain table an extra something.

Outdoor fabric is best for this as its water resistant. After cutting the fabric to size. I created the folds about 1/2" in. along the edges and pressed them so that I had a guide to align the fabric tape to. 

I then darted the corners and pressed those as well to create clean edges and corners. 

After a little time pressing I have a cheery set of placemats!

Happy Crafting!

DIY Christmas Stationary

I picked up a package of  mostly plain (except for the small life preserver at the top) stationary this weekend on clearance and added in these Christmas lights to give it some holiday cheer :)

First I used a green fine tip Sharpie to draw out the strand of lights.

I then selected my glitter colors. 

Using a ball point blue pen and dusting with glitter I added the lights. 

Wishlist Wednesday -Giving the Gift of Granting a Wish

For the person who has everything, making a donation in their name can be a great gift idea!

World Wildlife Fund: Allows you to give the gift of adopting an endangered animal. They have all different species to choose from Tigers, to Whales, to Polar Bears. 

Dana-Farber: A friend of mine is running the Boston Marathon this year for Dana-Farber to raise money for cancer research. Every dollar the Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge raises supports the Claudia Adams Barr Program in Innovative Basic Cancer Research. 

JustGive.org: They have actual gift cards that you can gift so that the recipient can donate to the charity of their choosing. 

Heifer International: Gift a sheep to a village in need! Heifer links communities and helps brings sustainable agriculture and commerce to areas with a long history of poverty. Our animals provide partners with both food and reliable income, as agricultural products such as milk, eggs and honey can be traded or sold at market.

Polka Dots

Dress: Target (sold out but similar here & here)  Shoes: Kate Spade

I wear these polka dot pumps all the time, and thought I would share this look today in honor of the sale Kate Spade is having today; 30% off everything with code GREEN30 !

Winter Maxi Skirt

Last week we had an unseasonably warm day so I took full advantage, as the cold was back the next day.

Shirt: J.Crew (on sale now!) Watch: Coach Skirt: Old (similar here & here) Booties: Amazon

Getting a lot of wear out of these booties, seen in the first Wishlist Wednesday post. 

Wishlist Wednesday -Beauty Edition

1. Hair Ties 2. Mini Emergency Kit -every girl should have this! This little pouch has everything you could need from clear nail polish to deodorant wipes. 3. Eye Shadow Palette -Stila eyeshadows go on smooth and are great for layering 4.  Kiehls Body Lotion -the best, I use this everyday and can't keep enough of it on hand. 5. Mascara -one of the best I have tried for long, full looking, clump free lashes 6.  Splurge worthy lipstick 7. A fresh light fragrance -smells just like the brand; girly, light and fresh with subtle floral hints 8. Always have a tinted lip balm in my bag 9. A set of Makeup Brushes are critical to applying make-up properly

Christmas Design Board

First, so sorry for being so MIA this past week. Right after Thanksgiving I flew down to sunny Florida for a surprise birthday trip for my Mom, so between the beginning of the holiday season and our little get-away there hasn't been much time for blogging!

However, Christmas is upon us which means decorations, buying presents, wrapping, baking and more. I have put together this Christmas design board to gather some of my ideas. 

Take 5 (or 10)

Before the hussle and bussle of the holiday season begins, take 10 minutes today to sip hot chocolate (I recommend adding a spoonful of nutela to it), listen to a little early Christmas music (I recommend the Michael Buble Christmas Station on Pandora), and get excited for the fast approaching, most wonderful time of the year! 

Apple Pie Pops

Over the weekend I made these apple pie pops. And let me tell you, they couldn't have been easier. 

I did not make the dough myself (sorry, mom!) I thawed and then rolled out a frozen pie dough, cut out with a linzer cookie cutter, laid on a cookie sheet with parchment paper, pressed the sticks in, and filled with the apple pie filling -you can use any pie filling you'd like but you need to cut the apples up very small, about a cubic centimeter to fit in between the dough layers. 

Molly's Apple Pie Pops Filling:

2 Macantosh Apples

1 Granny Smith Apple

1/2 c. Brown Sugar

1/4 c. Granulated Sugar

1 tsp Cinnamon

2 TBSP Lemon Juice

2 TBSP Butter, cut into cubic centimeters 

Peel apples and cut into cubic centimeters. Toss ingredients together. This will give you plenty of filling, but whatever you have left over you can use for apple crisp, apple turnovers, and/or apple tart, etc. 

The tricky part with these being on sticks is knowing how to serve them. What I came up with was wrapping a piece of flower foam in brown paper bag, adding a quick decoration, and sticking the pops into the foam.

I used a glue pen and glitter to give it a little extra something. 

Voila!

Wishlist Wednesday -Winter White and Neutral Accessories

For this weeks WLW, I have compiled winter white and neutral accessories. 

1. Peplum Sweater 2. Adorable Coat with Pink Accents 3. Jeans that are more of an off-white, making them quite versatile 4. Faux Fur Collar -Great way to add a special touch to a simple white outfit 5. Cute Tote (at an even cuter price point!) 6. LOVE Wide Leg White Trousers -very slimming, classic look, transitions beautifully from day to night 7. Snakeskin and gold flats couldn't be a better match for winter white 

8. Twisted Pearl Bracelet

Squash Gratin

I made this dish to bring as a side to my cousins "Friends-giving" that she and her fiance hosted over the weekend, and I think it was a hit! It had the sweetness from the squash, flavor from the thyme and tang from the cream and Gruyere cheese. I would highly recommend this dish if you thinking of adding something new to your thanksgiving spread! 

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium onion, chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
1 small butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 small kabocha squash, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon ground mace
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 cup low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1/2 cup grated gruyere cheese (about 2 ounces)

Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and thyme and cook, stirring, until the onion softens, about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine the butternut and kabocha squash in a large microwave-safe bowl with 1 cup water. Cover with plastic wrap and microwave until the squash is just tender, about 5 minutes. Drain and add the squash to the skillet along with the garlic, mace, 1 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper. Cook, stirring, about 3 minutes. Add the broth and cook until it is mostly absorbed, about 5 more minutes. Stir in the heavy cream and cook until slightly thickened, 2 minutes.

Melt the remaining 1 tablespoon butter in the microwave and toss with the breadcrumbs, parmesan and parsley; season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle over the squash, then top with the gruyere. Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake until golden, about 30 minutes. Let rest 5 minutes before serving.

Recipe from Food Network Magazine 

Rainy Monday

Hope everyone had a great weekend! Mine was filled with friends, family and relaxation :)

But alas, Monday has arrived with rain and wind. Wishing I could continue with the relaxing days; especially on a day like today, curled up with my new book (The Book Thief) and a cup of tea....but off to the office I go.

Jumper: J.Crew (old) similar here & here (both on sale! with code MERRY) Turtleneck: Nordstrom (old) similar here (also on sale!) Boots: J.Crew (really old) but how cute are these & these!

Okay Monday, Let's do this!

Sunday Night Stroll Through Sites with Sales

There are so many sales right now, had to share a few of my favs. I would hate for anyone to miss out!

Piperlime.com ~Site wide 30% off ~ enter code MERRY at Checkout

Bloomingdales.com ~Friends and Family Sale, 20% off almost everything ~ Use promo code FF13 at Checkout (ends tonight at midnight! )

J.Crew ~addtitional 40% off sale items ~use code STYLETIME

You know you love me,

xoxo

Molly Beatson

Lemon Soup

I made this lemon soup last night but it could be the perfect weekend activity to have as a late lunch. It was easy and I had most ingredients on hand!

My friends and I at work frequent a local Greek Restaurant in Cambridge called The Greek Corner. We salivate over their lemon soup. When my friend, Amanda, found this recipe on FoodandWine.com I had to try it! And boy is it delish! 

One of the best parts was that it only took about 10 minutes to thicken up. 

Chop up fresh dill to add just before serving.

More cooking for me tomorrow morning, for a Thanksgiving party we are going too. Have a great weekend all! 

Wishlist Wednesday -Nordstrom Half-Yearly Sale Edition

1. Weekend Boyfriend Jeans   2. This Maxi dress I can see being paired with a cozy infinity scarf and booties.   3. Fun pumps, great for Christmas parties   4. Flair skirt to be worn countless ways (ordered so post to come :)   5. Great casual top for weekends or dressed up with jeans and a statement necklace.

Chalkboard Fun

I have this chalkboard in my kitchen and various pin's on pinterest inspired me to design it this way for Thanksgiving. I have much to be thankful for and having this in the kitchen is a frequent reminder. Thank YOU for reading :)

Pell Bridge Run

This weekend I completed the Pell Bridge Run; a 4 mile race which starts in Jamestown, RI and finishes in Newport, RI. The race starts at 6:30am! That meant waking up quite early and before the sun was up. It was a great experience to cross the iconic bridge as the sun rose. 

Butternut Squash Fries

Made these super easy Butternut Squash Fries last night for dinner with my best and I think they were quite a hit! 

This recipe came from one of my best friends Kerin. She took this Martha Stewart recipe and simplified it. All I did was cut up the peeled squash into 1/2 thick pieces, and tossed with olive oil. 

Then seasoned with salt and pepper, and roasted for about 45 -60 minutes at 425 degrees.

Delish!