Harper Valley

Cranberry-Orange Sauce

Cranberry Sauce. You either love it or hate it. I fall in the love category.

For  most of my life, I was happy with the gelatinous cranberry concoction in a can. I truly was. I love cranberries just that much.

But one day in November of 2006, my canned cranberry sauce ways were changed. Through the magic of Food Network, Tyler Florence showed me how to make my own homemade sauce.

And here's the recipe I've been using ever since. I tweaked the measurements a bit from the original, so here's my version, which is essentially the same as his.

Cranberry-Orange Sauce

Recipe adapted from Tyler Florence

2 (12-ounce) bags fresh cranberries

2 oranges, zest cut into strips and juiced

1 cup sugar (or more for a sweeter sauce)

3 cinnamon sticks

Put all the ingredients into a saucepan over medium heat and simmer until the cranberries burst and the sauce thickens, about 15-20 minutes. Serve at room temperature, or cool and refrigerate to serve later. Remove the cinnamon sticks before serving.

This recipe is WAY easy to make, and it looks impressive. Plus, there's a freshness to this sauce that you can't get in a can.

It's not too late to make this! You still have time.....

Happy Thanksgiving!

Fall Favorites

Fall is in full swing for Florida now. Yayz! We've been blessed with earlier cool temps this year, and I am soaking in every morsel of crisp air. Here are a few things I'm loving lately.

Halloween - It's kind of the fall kick-off moment for me. This year, I was a Good Witch... giving out candy, not curses. Although, my makeup did look a little scary. LOL

Hat - Old Navy | Top - Cafe Press | Belt - CATO | Petticoat - Domino Dollhouse | Knee-Highs - We Love Colors

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Funny costumes at the office. On the left, we have The Real Marilyn. And on the right, we have Demented Doll. That knife in teddy bear's back? It's real, folks.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ponte Knit - I feel like ponte knit has kind of always been around, but it's way popular lately. Or maybe retailers are just rebranding it and selling us the same old knit with a new name. Regardless, I'm happy it's everywhere because it's virtually wrinkle-free and it moves well with curves. I have a few ponte knit pencil skirts, and they're divine because they mold to my body well and I can move around in them without fear of ripping a seam.

Dress - Target.com | Shoes - Payless | Ring - Stein Mart

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lace - I may have gone a weeee bit overboard on lace this year. I have lots more waiting to adorn my body. *grin* Lace speaks to the Granny-Chic side of me. And it's romantical. I kind of love it.

From L to R: Torrid | Dots (Hello, peplum! ..another fall fave) | Torrid

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Blazers - They're everywhere! And they're perfect for those Florida fall days when it's still too warm to wear a coat. These ponte knit blazers from CATO are aces. First off, they're lined. Winning! Next, they have ruching - on the sleeves, above the front pockets, and in the back creating a subtle peplum look. Go get these blazers! They do not disappoint.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Polishes - I'm super into dark colors when the weather gets chilly. Here are a few of my faves right now. Clockwise from top left: Sally Hansen Nail Strips/Batty for You, butter LONDON Knees Up, China Glaze/Bizarre Blurple, China Glaze/Cast A Spell.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you want to go super vamp, check out the Gothic Beauties collection from A-England. They're all black-based with colored shimmers. They read black on the nail until you look at them up close or in the sunlight, except for Dorian Gray, which is lighter, and a true stunner.

From L to R: Tess D'Urbervilles, Lady of Shalott, Ophelia, Jane Eyre, Dorian Gray

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pumpkin Stuff - I think the real reason we love fall so much is because we can completely OD on pumpkin everything. Right??? I made these Pumpkin Cream Cheese Truffles for our work Halloween potluck lunch, and they were a hit. They're very similar to cake balls, but a bit easier to make because there is no cake baking involved.

I love complaining about how hard these are to make, but people really do rave about them. So I guess the toiling is worth it. The recipe link is here. I quadrupled the measurements because this makes such a teeny batch.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

That wraps up a few of my fall faves. What are some of yours?

Halloween Nails

"Halloween is an open invitation to push the boundaries of glamour, creativity, and spookiness."

When I read this quote from the China Glaze press release announcing their Halloween 2012 Wicked Collection, I thought, YES... SO MUCH THIS. I've never seen a better descriptor of the way I feel about Halloween. It's that one time during the year when I can be more kooky and get away with it. *smile*

If you're not into costumes, doing some nail art with a nod to Halloween can be a fun way to participate. A few easy ideas...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Clockwise from top left:

1. Dermelect ME Head Turner (a lighter, more true orange in person) with white chevron nail stickers from Nailed It Decals on Etsy. The skinny ones work best for small nail beds.

2. Lynderella Cauldron Drippings over China Glaze Liquid Leather.

3. China Glaze For Audrey with Hello Kitty nail decals over China Glaze White on White.

4. My HK decals lasted less than 24 hours (pouting happened), so I removed them and replaced them with good old CG Liquid Leather. I kinda dig the turq/black combo.

Then I got really crazy and tried googly eye nails. Wheeeeeee!

This is pretty straightforward nail art, but creating googly eyes with your non-dominant hand can still be tricky.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here's what I did, clockwise from top left:

1. Paint nails black. Let nails dry.

2. Dab a blob of white nail polish on a piece of paper. Dip the large side of a big-headed toothpick into the polish and dab it on your nail to create a dot. Repeat to create the other dot. Repeat with as many nails as desired. Allow nails to dry.

3. Dip the pointy side of the toothpick into a blob of black polish (or you can use a dotting tool). Lightly dot the black polish on the white circles to create pupils.

4. Finish off with a top coat after the black dots are slightly dry. This will avoid dragging of the colors.

5. (Optional) Take ridiculous pics of yourself making googly eyes. This is a lot harder than it looks, folks. It really is.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I clearly have way too much time on my hands.

I'll post my costume and more nail stuff next week. 

Happy Halloween, lovies!

butter LONDON - Gobsmacked

Gobsmacked: Astounded, astonished, flabbergasted. 

-Adjective, Slang (Brit)

I was all of these things when I varnished my nails with butter LONDON's latest gem from their Autumn/Winter 2012 collection. Totally gobsmacked.

This polish is charcoal grey with silver microshimmer. It glimmers so much that wearing it makes me feel like Edward Cullen in the sunlight (without the fangs and self-loathing).

Rumor has it that ULTA is selling butter LONDON for BOGO this Monday, September 10th. At 14 bucks a pop, that's some serious cash savings. I swear I read this somewhere on the interwebs! Hoping it's true.

I dig charcoal shades like Gobsmacked because you can achieve that goth vampy look without the harshness of pure black. This would be a prime Halloween polish. Grey is where it's at.

Have you tried any of BL's new collection? Which one has you gobsmacked?

Adjectives Market: Vintage, Antiques & Art

Last weekend, I spent a delightful hour at Orlando's newest vintage marketplace, Adjectives Market. 

This place rocks so hard.

It's clean. It's laid out well. The lighting is excellent. There's no lingering musty smell. (Not that mustiness has ever stopped me from junking before, but still it's nice to breath through my nostrils whilst shopping.)

Adjectives is located in Altamonte Springs on 436 across from Aaron's Furniture, and they're open seven days a week from 10-7. I love those hours!

There's something for everyone at Adjectives Market -- classic antiques, mid-century modern, shabby chic, utilitarian, original art, Mantiques.

And, um, ceilings!  They alone make the experience here beyond pleasant.

 

 

Guess who has a booth at Adjectives?  Junk2Funk, winners of the History Channel's hit show, Picked Off! I've bought several pieces from them over the years, and they're so much fun to work with. They have even more mid-century marvels online. Check them out at junk2funk.biz.

 

I tried to sneak one of these vintage tape dispensers into my bag while waiting in line to check out, but the sales associate gave me the side eye. Kidding!  There was no thievery going on, but I was seriously digging these. Maybe I should have asked if they were for sale.

 

Have you been to Adjectives Market?  What interesting things did you bring home?

Sherbet Striped Maxi Dress: Cure For a Funk?

Have you ever been in a funk? I was in a certifiable, sho-nuff mini funk this week. Luckily, it was here and gone in 24 hours, but I wasn't sure how long it would take me to shake it off. In an effort to speed up the de-funk process, I wore my favorite new maxi dress.

They say wearing bright colors will lighten your mood. I'll be honest -- that theory didn't really work for me on this day. But hey, I looked cute, right?

This color combo makes me swoon. And the horizontal stripes? In love! I paired it with a cardi because I wore it to work (we're Florida chic at my office).

This maxi is from Old Navy online. Many of their customers darn near rioted when they removed plus sizes from stores and sold them online exclusively. I, too, was disappointed when that happened. But the trade-off is a more extensive selection on their website. And they make it super simple to return items. For plus sizes only, returns are FREE, and they include a pre-paid shipping label in your package.

I've become quite comfortable shopping for clothes online. Once you know a brand/designer pretty well, you have a good sense of how their styles work with your body. And in the plus size world, there are SO MANY cool indie brands online with fashion forward styles.

Do you wear certain clothes when you're in a funk? An do you shop for clothes online? If so, what are some of your favorite resources?

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Maxi dress - Old Navy | Cardigan - Target | Shoes - Isaac Mizrahi for QVC | Jewelry - Kenneth Cole & Premier Designs

Dove Dry Shampoo

Raise your hand if you dread washing your hair. *bolts both hands in the air enthusiastically*

Actually, the washing isn't too bad.  I enjoy feeling so fresh and so clean-clean.  It's the blow drying that sends me into meltdown mode. Literally. The heat of the blow dryer and the lack of air circulation in my bathroom make for a very sweaty, cranky start to hair washing day.

I'm a clean person, y'all. I swear it. But if there's anything I can do to stretch out a hair wash, I will do it. Hats, scarves, headbands, buns, ponytails, braids, brushing loose face powder on my head. You get the idea. The face powder trick works well, but I like new and improved options!

Why do I love this so much, you ask?  I've tried several high-end brands of dry shampoo, including Bumble and bumble, Frederic Fekkai, and Shiseido. None of them worked as well as this $5 can of magic. Plus, Dove Dry Shampoo leaves no white flakes behind like many others do.

Oh, oh! And it smells yummy. It's a blissful marriage of fresh + powdery. I know some of you haaaaate powder smell, but this is subtle. It smells so good that I could literally start huffing this stuff.

Have you tried Dove Dry Shampoo?  What did you think?

Wekiva Island

Nestled on a fork in the Wekiva River is one of Central Florida's best kept secrets: Wekiva Island. Lush lily pads, spring-fed river temps, and Adirondack chairs for days... that's my kind of place.

I recently visited Wekiva Island for the first time at a work outing/field trip.  We rented the VIP Cabana, inhaled 4Rivers BBQ, and watched the gators float by. (We didn't really watch gators float by, but they are out there, TRUST.)

What I like best about this spot is that you can be super active or completely vegetative.  There's kayaking, canoeing, volleyball, corn hole, and frisbee games for those who like to stay on the move. And for folks who prefer to maintain a low heart rate, there's a huge bar with cheap beer, lots of lounging areas, and cool water in which to float.

We were there on a weekday, so it was pretty quiet.  I heard it gets a bit rowdy on the weekends, and fills up before noon. 

They have food for sale there if you're not up for packing a picnic. And I believe a few of Central Florida's beloved food trucks make pit stops there too. 

Wekiva Island is a sublime alternative to the beach.  It's much closer to home for Orlando residents, but you'll still get sand in your car.  : )

 

Yup, this happened.

 

 

Gold & Grey: An Unexpected Combo

When you wear grey clothes, which jewelry do you go for?  I bet you're thinking silver. Me too! I usually do silver or a bright color.

But today, I went for something a little different. I was inspired by these Kenneth Cole earrings!  They're brushed gold with silver and gunmetal stones clustered in the center.  

I was all like... "Hey, these earrings are gold and grey.  I should WEAR gold and grey!"

So that's what I did.

Not sure if shiny or brassy gold would look good with grey.  I've never tried that before.  But I am crushing hard on this brushed gold and grey combo.  It looks soft, feminine, and relaxed.

This wasn't a huge fashion risk, but it was fun to do something a little different.

What unexpected colors or finishes do you like pairing together?

      Top - Old Navy | Earrings & Ring - Kenneth Cole | Bangles - Premier Designs | Bag - Fossil

Bluesday Tuesday: Deborah Lippmann - On The Beach

Hello, Bluesday Tuesday!

I've been eyeing Deborah Lippmann's new On The Beach polish all summer, and I finally gave in. 

On The Beach is a bright blue creme polish.  The formula was a wee bit thick, but still workable.  Nothing a few drops of thinner can't cure. 

It photographs bright blue, but it's a little darker in person, with almost a grey undertone. 

I loves me a Lippmann lacquer.  They're on the pricey side, but they do boast the coveted 3-FREE Formulation: Free of Formaldehyde, Toluene, Phthalates (DBP).  And they wear super well with minimal chipping in my experience. 

Have you tried On The Beach?  What did you think?