ginger girl

birthday night

2012-01-28T00:00:00.000-06:00

kate spade luna dress/spike the punch necklace/kate spade tights/coach shoes/

BR clutch/j.crew bracelet

Wednesday night Mr. M and I went to dinner at a favorite restaurant, Crawdaddy's. Of course I had to change! I mean, it was my birthday, afterall!

I took a chance on this dress during the last 25% off sale promotion on the Kate Spade website. I'm starting to get excited by wearing red, and to think, it all started with this J.Crew cotton cardigan. Who knew I'd love wearing this color so much? And I totally feel like luck was on my side when I read a tweet the other week that a several necklaces were restocked on Spike the Punch. A few clicks later and mine was secured. These necklaces are so fun and colorful, I just love the neon orange and purple with this dress.

Lovely gifts, tasty dinner, more chocolate cake...it was a fantastic birthday. I am so thankful for all the wonderful people in my life {you, included!}.

I feel so blessed for every day and the opportunity to spend it with them.

And the topper of the night?

Bling Bling Bling

{If you watch Beverly Hills Housewives, you soooo get this...}

birthday day

2012-01-27T00:00:00.000-06:00

Even though my birthday was Wednesday, Tuesday night Mr. M surprised me by making a cake and giving me gifts early!

The chocolate cake was from an Ad Hoc mix and let me tell you. It was delicious. Seriously delicious.

So delicious that my eyes were bigger than my stomach and I just had a hunk of it for dinner.

When I arrived to work on Wednesday, I walked in and found birthday balloons and cards in my office.

What a great way to start the day!

Within 10 minutes, the first balloon popped and it was LOUD.

I thought for sure someone would come looking to check it out because I swear, it sounded like a gunshot.

No one came.

kate spade dotted magdalena dress + keychain necklace (real necklace on sale here)

hue tights/j.crew shoes

On our way to Subway for lunch, I recruited my friend, Brenda, to snap a couple outfit pictures in our glamorous parking lot. Balloons are hard to wrangle in gusty winds. So are my bangs.

After work I did a quick change for a birthday dinner and wore another fabulous {sale} Kate Spade dress.

Stay tuned!

sneak peek

2012-01-24T00:00:00.000-06:00

Wednesday's my birthday.

I'm not sure if I'm looking forward to wearing my new necklace and dress more than I am going out for a fabulous dinner?

hmmm....

cha cha cha

2012-01-23T00:00:00.000-06:00

macy's cha cha vente dress/kendra scott ring/spanx tights/coach shoes

I saw this Macy's dress reviewed on Gigi's Gone Shopping and didn't think twice about ordering it. I'm sad to see it's not online right now, but you can always check a local store if you're interested in trying it out yourself. It may not be as "heavy" as the Bailey 44 version, but that certainly doesn't mean it can't be as flattering. The dress hugs in all the right places and I felt great wearing it. I'm looking forward to being able to style it without the tights and some fun colorful shoes.

Saturday night we ate dinner at Water Buffalo to celebrate a good friend's birthday and then came home and enjoyed red velvet cupcakes. Um, I totally drank an entire bottle of SkinnyGirl White Cranberry Cosmo and fell asleep with my make up on. I haven't done that for a while. I guess that means it was a good night!

Did you do anything eventful this weekend?

here's the 411

2012-01-18T00:00:00.000-06:00

My birthday isn't until next Wednesday, but on Monday, my friend Kelly coordinated a girls' day at the Kohler Waters Spa to celebrate. Oh. My. God. There's a reason this place won the 2012 Five Star Award by Forbes Travel Guide. Cell phones were prohibited, but on the way out, it was pretty quiet (must have been because we left at dinner time!) so I snapped a quick picture of the ladies amenities. In addition, there's an amazing pool surrounded by cozy chaise lounges as well as a co-ed whirlpool. We arrived at 10am, spa'd and lounged before ordering our spa lunch. We then had the best pedicure I've ever had and then lounged on the rooftop deck, next to cozy fireplace, until we begrudgingly decided it was time to get back to reality. Seriously, the spa was fabulous, but what really made the day special was spending it with my wonderful friends.

Needless to say, we all decided we were planning a return visit!

Good thing I was totally relaxed because by the time Tuesday morning rolled around, the snow started falling and the winds started blowing, creating havoc on the roads. Maybe because I was still in the haze of my spa experience, but I decided to wear a dress, regardless.

j.crew factory emeline dress/merona tissue tee turtleneck/aldo belt/target tights/coach heels

Rocking the side pony because my man Andy Cohen from Bravo loves them.

Wearing the turtleneck under the dress because I liked it when Dina did it.

And wearing a dress in a snowstorm because I'm crazy.

Just another day Tuesday.

weekend wrap up

2012-01-16T00:00:00.000-06:00

Happy Monday.

I have a special day lined up today. It's an early birthday present from my friend Kelly and it includes some good friends and a spa. But more about that tomorrow!

So, Friday the 13th started off on a sour note when I realized I needed new windshield wipers but the guy at the auto parts store couldn't help me put them on. After struggling for about 1/2 hour, I managed to replace one. ONE! Thankfully, Mr. M was able to come out later and change the other one.

I came into the house feeling all dejected but immediately perked up when I saw this:

I've been meaning to put this bike together since, oh...NOVEMBER, but just never did it.

I guess Mr. M was tired of seeing that big box in basement and finally did it himself. I'm so thankful he did because he said it was as bad as putting together something from Ikea. Enough said.

So, after seeing Elena from Caffeinerd tweet this recipe on Saturday, I knew it would be the perfect "thank you" treat.

Of course, I needed to do a quality assurance check on them. Yep, they passed.

And since I was on a roll in the kitchen, I decided to counterbalance the sweet with the savory and made this super easy and totally healthy quinoa vegetable soup. Delish!

Weekend was good but I cannot lie, I couldn't stop thinking about this...

Have a great day!

My take-Golden Globes 2012

2012-01-15T20:41:00.002-06:00

I love watching the Red Carpet for most award shows.
It's always interesting to spot trends with accessories and colors. Even hairstyles.
I noticed a lot styling reminiscent of the Roaring 20's-wavy hair, simpler jewelry, and sleek dresses.

Here are my best and worst dressed for the Golden Globes 2012.

Please keep in mind that as I sat in judgment of these fabulous women's fashion choices, I was wearing a thermal top and lounge pants.

And I might have had some dabs of retina-a on a couple of pesky pimples.

I'm just saying...

Charlize Theron in Dior Couture

Best Dressed

Michelle Williams in Jason Wu

Best Dressed runner up

Katharine McPhee in Donna Karen

Best in blush/neutral

Mireille Enos (dress maker unknown at this time!)

Best in yellow

Emma Stone in Lanvin

Best Ginger Girl-I love this color gown on her!

and that belt! How cool is that?!

And worst dressed goes to...

Sarah Michelle Gellar in Monique Lhuillier

Oh no.

No. No. No.

The only redeeming factor was that she said her two year daughter picked it out for her.

And being ageless is always en vogue...

Julianne Moore in Chanel

(50 years old)

Diane Lane in Reem Acra

(46 years old)

and Helen Mirren in Badgley Mischka

(66 years old)

These ladies are inspiration for the saying,

"It's not the years of your life but the life in your years".

Who was your favorite/worst dressed?
Did you notice any trends?

all images via

i'm lovin' it!

2012-01-14T14:00:00.001-06:00

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one last hurrah

2012-01-13T00:00:00.000-06:00

ATL striped tee/j.crew cords/kate spade karoline heels/

anthropologie necklace/TB reva flats

Clearly this picture was taken pre-snow on Thursday. It's from earlier this week, when I could still go sans socks and took total advantage by changing from heels to flats (sans socks) after work.

Actually, on most days when I wear heels to the office, I "commute" in flats or snow/rain boots. I use the term "commute" lightly here because really it's just through a parking lot into the building and then out the building and back into the parking lot at the end of the day. Not only do I do this to preserve a spendy pair of heels, but I like to know that if someone attempts to attack me, I can make a good run for it.

Not that I couldn't do it in heels, but no use giving the assailant an advantage.

Anyone else pumped for the Golden Globes on Sunday?!

I like to make myself fun party food and kick back to watch the festivities.

I'll be tweeting throughout the red carpet!

Have a great weekend!

wearing orange

2012-01-12T00:00:00.000-06:00

j.crew top, cords/kate spade karolina heels/bracelet-gift

"Help! I'm sinking!" That was my thought as Mr. M took that top photo. See, the ground tends not to freeze when it's 50 freaking degrees out! My heels went right in. I promptly moved to the curb.

What I love about this weather is not only the sunshine and smooth sailing driving conditions, but also that I can go sans socks and stockings. I have a hard time wearing my matchstick cords with boots and I'm not one to do flats and socks, so this weather is cool enough for cords but nice enough to bare it with the heels.

Global warming for the win!

Disclaimer-our 50 degree days are over because the weather forecast for Thursday is SNOW! And lots of it, too. 4-6" depending on where you're at in SE Wisconsin. So, here come the Uggs and stocking caps.

Lovely.

Did you know Pantone named "tangerine tango" color of the year for 2012?

Well, if not, let me tell ya, they did.

Perfect excuse to buy yourself a pair of these fun loving cords!

cobalt blues

2012-01-10T00:00:00.000-06:00

anthropologie tunic/ae jeggings/j.crew penelope maryjanes via ebay/kendra scott ring via gilt

I don't know what it is. Maybe it's the fact that we just took down all our holiday decorations and the house feels bare. Or maybe it's because the store shelves are sparse because it's in between seasons. Whatever it is, I'm feeling lackluster and uninspired lately. Even the style magazines are super thin this time of year. I tried to perk myself up by wearing these bright jeans. They certainly are electrifying! ZAP!

katy-did vintage

2012-01-06T00:00:00.000-06:00

vintage liz claiborne zebra blouse c/o katy-did vintage/anthropologie skirt/coach heels/jcrew necklace

I was so happy when my lovely blogging friend, Eleanor from Shopping the Closet announced she was opening her own online shop, Katy-Did Vintage. If you follow Eleanor, then you know that in addition to being a wonder woman at home taking care of her house and family, she is ah-mazing at scoring fabulous vintage finds. This shop is an extension of her closet and allows her to share clothing, jewelry, and accessories with everyone else.

I was so excited when she contacted me and asked me to pick out an item to style.

While I really loved these YSL shoes

and this grecian dress

I knew the zebra top was for me. I could wear it to work with a skirt or on weekends under my faux fur vest. I appreciate that measurements are listed because not all sizes are created equal and checkout is via paypal so that everyone is protected. And hey, before her holiday free shipping promotion, I spied some vintage J.Crew pieces, too!

Thanks again, Eleanor. You made my day by reaching out to me and this blouse made my first day back this week a bit more bearable!

Katy-Did Vintage is officially on my radar.

side note--Liz Claiborne, Inc is changing it's name.

second side note-I was gifted this blouse by Eleanor. I was not told when or how to wear it or what to post or not to post. These are my observations and opinions. While the print on the blouse is quite mesmerizing, it did not hypnotize me into saying anything I do not believe to be true.

last side note-have a great weekend!

sensing a theme here

2012-01-04T00:00:00.000-06:00

loft shift dress/kate spade necklace/anthropologie fleece lined leggings/frye boots

Seriously, could that Kate Spade necklace be any cuter? And if you link to it, you might still be able to get it while it's on sale! Plus 25% off with the code NEWYEAR25.

Like my Christmas outfit, I wore this outfit twice. Once for lunch with my cousin and aunt outside of Chicago and then for lunch with my BFF, Anne. The dress was a fabulous find in-store at Loft right before Christmas, you know, when they were giving away the store on a daily basis? It's hard to tell, but the sleeves are a sweater knit and the dress is a rayon/nylon/spandex mix. It was just so easy, and I was all about that during my time off.

Well, my first day back to work after the extended time away proved to be anything but easy. I walked into a mess but since I was there early, was able to take care of business before half the office even arrived. By the time my supervisor called to update me, I told her the documents she needed were already being emailed. By the end of the day, my desk was clean and I felt good. It totally helps that my friend, Kelly, is a great cover agent. Even though she enjoyed time away, too, she still managed to keep on top of both of our "stuff". I owe her a coffee. Or a bottle of wine...

kate spade for the holiday

2012-01-03T00:00:00.000-06:00

kate spade dotted magdalena dress {solid version here} & keychain turned necklace/

indeed shoes (old)/hue tights

I wore this dress for two Christmas celebrations last week, one with my family and then with Mr. M's! I had to get my money's worth out of it, right?! I debated and debated and then signed Mr. M up on Kate Spade's mailing list so he could get a 15% off code before I finally ordered it (I couldn't use my email because I signed up loooong ago). Is that bad? It is, isn't it? But realistically, my birthday is coming up in...oh...22 days and he could certainly use a friendly reminder on gift giving options and a Kate Spade email may just do the trick! And to sweeten the deal, Kate Spade is currently running an additional 25% off all sale items plus free shipping {code is NEWYEAR25}! Don't forget to start with ebates!

A special thank you to Mr. M's mom, Rita, who took the top pic and my niece, Rebekah, for taking the bottom picture. I know who to call next time I'm in town!

welcome 2012

2012-01-02T00:30:00.000-06:00

Welcome back! I can't believe "the holidays" are over. And now tomorrow I'm heading back to work after an almost two full week respite. My time off has been been well spent relaxing and catching up with family and friends. Of which I vow to do more of in 2012. Easier said then done when life gets in the way, but something that is being put at the top of the list.

But let's be honest. Most of my time was spent holed up in my house where in between tweeting, blog reading, and surfing the web for shopping steals {I went "out" shopping only twice!}, I did the following:

Read books downloaded from the library on my new Nook Color. And for the record, the Kate Spade cover my mom bought me for Christmas made the ritual 100x more enjoyable {and stylish}.

Bookmarked recipes to try from my new cookbooks

Took extra long showers using shower gel I received from my niece.

Our New Year's Eve celebration was low key but oh so fun. Close friends came over and we enjoyed good food and bubbly champagne.

Even though I could have easily stayed in my comfy clothes, I decided to add some sparkle.

After seeing so many glitter polish tweets Saturday night, I broke out my OPI You Don't Know Jaques and Divine Swine and did a last minute manicure myself.

I decided the night was another chance to wear my J.Crew sequin tee and paired it with American Eagle cobalt blue jeggings {which are just as comfortable as leggings, I swear!}. No heels, just slippers, though!

After dinner, we filled out these resolution cards I printed up from Real Simple. Then we took turns reading them and guessing who they belonged to.

I hate setting myself up for failure by making resolutions, but here goes:

*this year I want to be a better listener

*invest in my closet wisely, meaning quality over quantity

*continue to make healthy lifestyle choices {most of the time}

*spend more time with my family because time stops for no one

And how about you?

p.s. thanks for coming back to the ol' blog after my week long hiatus. It was nice to be able to break away and "recharge" the creative juices!

Happy Christmas

2011-12-25T00:00:00.000-06:00

he's making a list

2011-12-24T20:00:00.000-06:00

and checking it twice...

Hope you're on the "nice" list...

Yuletide Yarns {grandmothers}

2011-12-24T00:00:00.000-06:00

We interrupt this week's outfit posts to share some fun holiday memories and traditions provided by my friends and family. Today's yarn is brought to you by yours truly.

Thinking about this post and looking back, I feel like our family had a lot more holiday traditions than I originally thought. Here I thought we were a bunch of free wheeling non-traditionalists of the late 70's but really, we were more traditional than not. The smell of Spritz cookies reminds me of Oma (mom's mom), baking for days during the holidays. And stockings hung by the chimney with care remind me of Grandma (dad's mom).

After we finished opening our presents Christmas morning, my mom would get us all dressed up and the family would take the 20 minute drive to Grandma and Papa's house in Chicago. After walking in the house, my eyes always went straight to the stockings hanging along the fireplace. My grandmother was an avid crocheter. I think back then it was a prerequisite for grandmothers to crochet or knit. Anyway, Grandma crocheted while Papa listened to the radio and drank his tea. And every year, in addition to her afghans, she would make stockings for all her grand kids. They hung along the mantle and we were not allowed to take them down until dinner was finished. I vaguely remember them being stuffed with pencils, notepads, candy and a big ole' orange at the toe. All those little goodies kept up occupied until it was time to say good night to everyone and head back home.

Grandma and Papa have been gone for years now. And as we've gotten older, new stockings have replaced the handmade ones. But when I came across a stockpile of them in a box in my mom's basement, I knew I had come up with a special way to incorporate them back into the holiday.

The first thing that came to mind was simply framing them. Voila!

My sisters loved them. The first thing everyone brought up was the oranges! Seems like I'm not the only one with that fond memory. And as for the spritz cookies, Oma's love of baking them and my love of eating them have resulted in their ongoing appearance during the month of December.

Oma kept her cookies wrapped in tissue paper in a shirt box that was on her kitchen table all season long. I swear, no matter when you opened it, it seemed like the supply never diminished. If I kept them on my table, they'd be gone in a couple days, flat. Therefore, I like to share the wealth and give them away. A few cookies for me, along with a cup of coffee is all I need. It's the smells and memories that make me happiest.

This is my last "official" post of 2011. I'm going to be taking next week off to spend time with family, relaxing and enjoy a bit of a break.

I want to thank everyone for their readership and support over the past year. It means so much to me.

Happy Holidays and see you in 2012!

Yuletide Yarns {Candy Cane Lane}

2011-12-23T00:00:00.000-06:00

We interrupt this week's outfit posts to share some fun holiday memories and traditions provided by my friends and family. My friend Kelly is back with another great memory of a family outing to see the holiday lights. Believe me, Clark Griswold ain't got nothing on these houses!

One of my favorite holiday traditions is driving or walking (depending on Wisconsin’s unpredictable weather) through Candy Cane Lane. For those unfamiliar with the Milwaukee area, Candy Cane Lane is comprised of several city blocks located in the city of West Allis. For those of you unfamiliar with West Allis, well that’s just an adventure in itself….

Candy Cane Lane includes 92^nd-96^th Streets just north of Oklahoma Avenue and south of Manitoba.

This neighborhood is filled with small, modest homes but when it comes to holiday lights, they do it BIG!!! There is no admission fee. However, if you wish to make a donation, all proceeds benefit the MACC Fund, an organization dedicated to childhood cancer. Well-identified volunteers are on most corners with a bucket for your bills. Be generous. It’s for the kids.

As a kid, my parents would load all five of us into the burgundy Ford Taurus station wagon and head over. It was amazing!!! The twinkling lights were beautiful and seemed to stretch for miles. The dedicated residents of Candy Cane Lane are a creative bunch. Each year, there is something more amazing than the year before.

Now, my husband and I take our son each year. He “ooohs” and “ahhhs” at the wonderful, brilliant spectacle that Candy Cane Lane has become.

In my heart, I am so grateful that my son is healthy knowing the money collected in those buckets is intended for other children who are not.

I am also grateful knowing that in this ipod touch, XBOX 360 world my son is still amazed by something as simple as electricity.

images via

baby, it's cold outside

2011-12-22T16:00:00.000-06:00

j.crew cashmere sweater, silk cherie cami, juliet pumps/ j.crew factory wool trousers/j.crew stadium cloth lucinda coat/anthropologie necklace/j.crew factory, F21 bracelets

This particular day the weather was sooo cold! I did not want to take off my warm stadium cloth coat but did so very quickly to take advantage of the outdoor photo opportunity this particular morning!

I am thoroughly enjoying the days away from the office, but still can't wrap my head around the fact that Christmas Eve is in three days. My shopping has been done for a while so any trips to mall are to take advantage of sales for myself. Now, normally I would feel very guilty about that statement but recently I picked up some workout things at Gap Body for 40% off, so I totally don't feel guilty about that. That purchase was all about bettering myself. And those purchases don't count. Just like calories consumed while standing up.

Yuletide Yarns {tree trimming}

2011-12-22T00:00:00.000-06:00

We interrupt this week's outfit posts to share some fun holiday memories and traditions provided by my friends and family. Today's post is written by Rebecca, who enjoys the memories associated with decorating her tree.

My favorite part of Christmas was always the Christmas tree. My Mom made getting and decorating the tree such a joyous event. We always had a real tree, sometimes cut down ourselves, or sometimes just purchased in a suburban tree lot. Whichever way we got it, decorating it would be an hours-long event.

We never had very fashionable or particularly coordinated finished product, but the joy was in unwrapping all the decorations each year and remembering the good times from the past.

The ball ornaments were my grandmother's and are really old}

a pickle ornament given to my husband and me from my mom

My husband and I bought this whale ornament together last year on a date night

Now that I am grown up I still make sure to get a real tree each year and savor unwrapping all the old ornaments as if each were Pre-Christmas presents themselves!

hang in there!

2011-12-21T16:00:00.000-06:00

"Why, hello there!"

j.crew silvie dress (again)/anthropologie fleece lined leggings (again)/frye boots/j.crew tartan shirt/kate spade DIY necklace/coach sunglasses via tjmaxx

I totally cheaped out when the Kate Spade "Hang In There" necklace went on sale last month. Of course when I realized I was being foolish, it was already sold out. What was still in stock was the key chain version of the glasses. I ended up ordering that and was so happy when it arrived and I saw the glasses were pretty big. I used a pair of pliers to take the glasses off the key chain, but left a couple jump rings so I could loop it on a long gold chain I already had (from another KS necklace). Voila! My own version of the necklace!

Yuletide Yarns {stockings}

2011-12-21T00:00:00.000-06:00

We interrupt this week's outfit posts to share some fun holiday memories and traditions provided by my friends and family. Stockings were a big deal in Jessica's house growing up and she's recruited her husband in carrying on the tradition.

Growing up, my favorite part of Christmas was my stocking. It was the first thing I ran to when waking up Christmas morning. We usually hung our stockings on the fireplace (the one “traditional” thing we did for Christmas besides decorating a tree). We had the traditional red and white stockings, but my mom had marked our stockings with the initial of our first name in glitter. (Luckily no one us had the same letter of our first name otherwise I don’t know what she would have done!)

My stocking was my favorite because the stuff in it was the things that weren’t on my “wish list,” but that I was always excited to get. Candy, of course, was the one thing I could consistently rely on being in my stocking. We usually got holiday candy, like Sweet Tarts in the shape of Christmas trees, tress shaped Reese's peanut cups, or anything wrapped in red and green wrappers. In addition to candy, we also got small gifts, such as gift certificates or movie passes. Even as an adult going home for Christmas, I still look forward to my stocking at home!

Having my own family now (just my husband and I), we have our own stockings. About 6 years ago we decided that we would make each other something for Christmas rather than buy it. Well, he cheated a little bit and bought us each a stocking (made of wool) at a little boutique. But he made up for it by adding his own décor.

He cut out our names in felt and added glitter to the stocking!

Since we don’t have a fireplace, we hung them on some cabinetry in our living room.

For some reason, Santa has yet to put anything in them for Christmas, but maybe he’ll get the hint this year. While there’s nothing like my childhood stocking, these will do for now.

dream silvie dress

2011-12-20T16:00:00.000-06:00

j.crew silvie dress via shop m's closet/leopard belt/j.crew factory, kate spade, F21 bracelets/frye boots/anthropologie fleece lined leggings and scarf

While it may look like I'm doing a totally fancy pose in the middle picture, I'm actually leaning against the wall. Fancy, yes. Totally fancy, no.

I picked up the fleece lined leggings last year and am tempted to get another pair. They are nice and toasty but I've found that because I've worn them with boots, they pill a little around the calves from rubbing. That being said, I'd still get a second pair because I don't see myself ever wearing them outside the house and not wearing boots. Highly recommend these! When I came home from work this day, I didn't want to change. I love the Dream Silvie dress of yore. It's so cozy. I wore it again this past weekend...

Yuletide Yarns {the old + the new}

2011-12-20T00:00:00.000-06:00

We interrupt this week's outfit posts to share some fun holiday memories and traditions provided by my friends and family. Today's post is by Karen, who balances old family traditions while creating new ones. And let's be honest, when one of the traditions involves a tasty drink, who could say no!?

When I was a child, Christmas was an important time to celebrate being a family. I have vivid memories of exchanging gifts, midnight mass and winding down the evening in front of the Christmas tree, spending time joking with my parents and my older sister - like many families, we pulled tighter together at Christmastime. When I married my husband we both doubled our Christmastime family and inherited each other's traditions, but we also began to establish our own Christmas routine, likes and dislikes, and some of those have become our traditions in their own right, and are ones we both hope to build on and continue in the years ahead. I'd love to share a few of my favorites with the readers of the blog.

Brett loves the process and the final product of decorating the house with lights. This tradition was established when Brett was growing up, he and his dad braving all types of weather to put lights on his parents' house. My dad was less enthusiastic about lighting our house when we were kids so I've grown to love watching my husband diligently decorate the house and trees in our neighborhood. The lights really add to the festive feel of the holiday season and add some sparkle to these cold, dark Wisconsin nights.

The holidays wouldn't be complete without making sure our dog, Otis, gets into the Christmas spirit. His mood vacillates between indifference and disgust at how we smother him, so this is no small task. When Otis entered our life 7 years ago we started shopping for fun reindeer antlers or a festive Santa hat to dress him up for our yearly Christmas card. We love the process, Otis--not so much.

As you can see by his expression, Otis takes a bit longer to get into the spirit of the season (and he only usually relents after some treat bribery). We always find fun holiday gear for Otis at Harry Barker.

Last year Brett and I took a trip to NYC two weeks before Christmas. The city is so beautiful and buzzing during the holiday season. We saw "Elf" on Broadway, visited the Rockefeller Christmas Tree and laughed while stopping in local pubs only to realize it was "SantaCon in the City." Seeing people dress up as Santa, Mrs. Claus and Elves while parading the streets of New York is something to experience. {More info on NYCSantaCon here}. While this was our first visit to NYC during the month of December, we hope to make it an annual or semiannual event. The most memorable part of this trip was staying at The Greenwich Hotel in Tribeca. If you can experience this hotel at anytime, especially the holidays, I highly recommend it. I could've spent the entire trip enjoying a warm cocktail at the bar in the Drawing Room of the hotel.

Lastly, like probably most unabashed Christmas enthusiasts, my husband acquired his love of all things Christmastime from his parents. They LOVE the holidays---decorating, spending time with the family, shopping for special gifts and of course indulging in the food and drink that make the holidays special. I'm including my mother-in-law's Cranberry slush recipe. When she makes it for the first time of the year at Thanksgiving and again at Christmas, I know I'm home, which is really what the holidays are all about!

Cranberry Slush

--A Family Tradition served first on Thanksgiving and then through the Christmas Holidays......

2 qt. Cranberry Juice

12 oz. Frozen Orange Juice

1 cup Cinnamon Red Hots (Imperials)

2 cup Water

1 cup Vodka

Dissolve red hots in water. I bring them to a boil, turn off the stove and let them dissolve the rest of the way with a little stirring. Cool. Add the remainder of the ingredients. Freeze. Because of the alcohol content it will not freeze solid but "slushy." Put frozen slush in a glass and serve with Squirt soda. Delicious! You can use Sprite or 7-Up but Squirt tastes the best.

For a non-alcoholic version just omit the vodka!

Note: About 12 hours after I mix everything and freeze, I go back and stir it again. Then I let it freeze for another 12 hours before serving.