Have a Holly Jolly Christmas

Merry Christmas! Santa was very good to me this year, as always, and I will be sharing his gifties on here with you this weekend. I will definitely be reorganizing the accessory section of my closet starting tomorrow to fit all of my new bracelets, earrings, necklaces, etc. stay tuned!

tasty tidbits

I love cooking shows. all of them. and now I have a new hour and television to add to my must-watch list every week. it's called Chef Academy and I'm mostly a fan because I feel like I'm learning cool new recipes when I watch it. this weekend Issac and I decided to try Grandma Louise's  Tomato Sauce. it's super rustic and simple, and most importantly...so so delicious. I copied the recipe here straight from the website:

INGREDIENTS:

• 6 lb (2.7 kg) Beef or Heirloom tomatoes

• 4 Star anise

• 1 Vanilla pod

• Sea salt & cracked black pepper to season

• White sugar

• 2 Sprig fresh thyme

• 1-2 Bay leaves

Infusion

• Fresh garlic

• 28gm bunch fresh basil

• Extra virgin olive oil

DIRECTIONS

1. Place a heavy cast pan to heat up.

2. Wash the tomatoes and halve roughly.

3. Place into the hot pan and season with salt, pepper and a touch of sugar.

4. Add the anise and vanilla.

5. Allow the tomatoes to start to cook then press them gently with a masher to help them to release their juice.

6. Reduce the heat down to just simmering and continue for about 1-2 hours until a thickened paste. This slow evaporation of the moisture from the tomatoes will produce a deep color concentrated flavor without any bitterness.

7. Crack the garlic and add along with the basil which is just halved and throw in.

8. Combine with the warm paste and finish with a good amount of olive oil to finish the infusion. Allow to cool before storing ready for use.

**you'll notice that the recipe never tells you when to put the thyme in (which I found odd being that it's listed under the ingredients), nor does it tell you when to put the bay leaf in (also odd). I added the bay leaf as soon as it started simmering, and I added the thyme with the basil. it worked pretty well, and the sauce was amazing.

mash tomatoes and let simmer....

add basil and thyme....

slap on top of some spaghetti, or in my case fettuccine, and enjoy!

this sauce was delish!! perfect with some garlic bread and a glass of wine. of course everything goes well with a glass of wine.

I fought the couch and the couch won

plans for Sunday:

 wake up and make delicious breakfast, relax, go to the Nutcracker (to which I already had fabulous seats thanks to Mama McKinnon), come home and clean the apartment so that I could put up the diy Christmas decor that I finally finished.

actual happenings on Sunday: 

wake up and make delicious breakfast, slam foot into couch bringing said breakfast to the table causing gnarly looking fracture, leave delicious breakfast on the table to go to the doctor to receive x-rays and uber fashionable boot so that my toe does not "heel completely sideways", skip Nutcracker waiting on prescriptions, lay around all day watching Untold Stories of the ER (marathon!)

as I was complaining to my mom that the manner in which I broke my toe severely depleted my coolness factor, and that I couldn't believe I broke my first bone running into a couch, she reminded me...."no no remember that time you broke your big toe really bad? I think you were kicking a golf ball that was stuck in the ground". cool Kim.

coming soon

I have some major holiday projects in the works. stay tuned because I'll be sharing them this week. 

it's that time

that's right folks, it's time to find Kim a New Year's Eve dress! do I have some fabulous party that I'm planning to go to? no. does that matter? obviously not. being that I fully intend on having some sort of plans that call for a new dress I feel it's necessary to start early. I can't decide this year between a sequined number (because we know that I love a sequin) or something plain and black that I can jazz up with tons-o-accessories. so, without further ado I give you dress option #1. 

I'm totally loving this lace dress from Free People. It's short and and sweet which I like, but it also has a bit of a vintage feel with the lace sleeves. vintage in an Audrey Hepburn way, not vintage in a 1980's tragic prom night way.

things I'm thankful for

ok, I realize this post is about 4 days too late, but I've been busy busy with wine making, movie seeing, and food eating all weekend. I'm thankful for tons of things this year so I'm feeling like this post is a "better late than never" situation. 

this year I'm thankful for:

Amazing family and friends

(I know the first pic is blurry but it's the only one I've got...deal)

the thing that keeps me glued to the tv every Tues and Wed night: So You Think You Can Dance? thanks for being so awesome.

Slatkin and Co candles= the sole reason that my apartment constantly smells of vanilla, cinnamon, lilac, and most recently, Christmas tree!

oh boyfriend blazers, I don't think I could possibly get enough of you.

and finally....migas from South Congress Cafe. I have no picture for this one, but believe me I'm completely thankful for migas, gouda potato pancakes, and refried black beans every Sunday morning.

currently coveting:

someone please buy this!

I'm currently having to fight the overwhelming urge to buy this Mabe Pearl Faceted Onyx ring from Editor's Closet

 and at $95.00 it's really a steal (compared to the original $237.00 price tag).  unfortunately (and this is truly unfortunate because I neeeeed this ring), I am sticking to strict budget this holiday season. Santa if you're listening, I've been a good girl this year, and if you bring me this yummy piece of jewelry I promise to make my bed every day, do the dishes, take out the trash, and whatever other chores may be required of me. pretty please?

open letter to Payless

I would like to preface this letter by stating that I don't shop at Payless...I just don't. I'm all for a bargain but I refuse to pay $25.00 for shoes with grandma heels and plastic bows. however!

dear Payless,

I can appreciate that fact that you've decided to add designers to your collection, (upping the ante for Target perhaps?) but why do you dangle these: 

in front of me on your website only to say "no sizes in stock" when I try to buy?! they're delicious, surprisingly chic, and I want them. Payless, I feel I have no choice but to break up with you. I was never really yours to begin with.

Love, 

Kim

tasty tidbits

this weekend, for the first time I tried gorgonzola cheese and....yum! I needed a delicious/easy to make chicken dish for Saturday night so I figured a gorgonzola cream sauce would be great with a pepper crusted chicken. so here is it....the recipe* for what was a fabulous meal:

what you'll need:

2 chicken breasts

1 small onion

stick butter

1 package pre-sliced mushrooms

small block of gorgonzola cheese

heavy whipping cream

ground pepper (you can get this in bulk at Central Market and it's perfect)

coat chicken on both sides with the course pepper. throw them on the grill, or a grill pan in my case. these are grrreat for a girl who, a. lives in an apartment and therefore is not allowed to have a grill and b. doesn't really know how to use a grill anyway (sorry dad). while chicken cooks, chop half of the white onion and about 1/4 of the mushrooms.  butter in a sauce pan on medium heat (I think I used about a tablespoon? I used one line worth) and allow it to melt. once melted, throw in the onion and the mushroom and let those cook until soft (you get a bit of a caramelized effect). once veggies have softened add heavy whipping cream (I prob used about 1/3 of the small container) and the cheese in small chunks. once chicken is done and you are happy with the taste and consistency of the sauce, plate and pour sauce over chicken. voila! you have dinner!

**you'll note that I do not use measurements...sorry folks I just pour 'til it looks right.

the list

as far back as I can remember my grandmother had one very strict rule regarding Christmas lists. it was as follows: pick up your pre-typed (on a type writer obviously) and turn in no later than Thanksgiving or you get nothing. of course she never really followed through with the last part but lord help you if you did not have that Christmas list ready on or before Thanksgiving day. earlier this week as my mother reminded me that I'd better get my Christmas list together asap...or else, and I went on to do the same to Issac, I realized that we've both turned into my grandmother. on that note I thought I'd share a few things on my must have list for this year. it's definitely a work in progress because as anyone who knows me will tell you, I am constantly adding to the never-ending list of things I need. 

I sort of love the simplicity of

 these rings from Etsy. they're stackable or can be worn one at a time.

it's time for a new wallet, and this marc jacobs uber-soft leather one is delicious.

I've been eyeing this Michael Kors "Jet Set" watch for a few months now. I've never in my life been into watches...until now. thanks mom.

must. have. these. boots. I found a cute pair of over-the-knee heels, but now my closet is screaming for a pair {or two} of flats like these from Nine West.

obviously the list could go on forever so this is just a start. what's on your list?

let's have some fun

two things: 1) I realize that I have been the world's worst blogger for the past couple of weeks and 2 ) I shall continue to be the world's worst blogger until tomorrow when I return from the unplanned hiatus and will have plenty to say (promise). so to tide you over please see below for Halloween fun from this past weekend. 

very appropriately dressed as an angel at work

this pumpkin took me 30 minutes to scrape clean...then I gave up and carved a regular pumpkin. said pumpkin did NOT win the carving contest at the apartment where I live...so mad. 

 

lost in translation

being a gal on a budget, I love Forever 21. I realize that all of their "designs" are obvious rip offs of real designer's ideas, but it tends not to bother me. were I growing a money tree in my backyard I may feel differently, but that's neither here nor there. I walked into Forever 21 recently and right past a bin of something similar to these:

the classy hair pieces I stumbled upon however, were miniature top hats complete with attached clip so that said top hat may be placed securely into the hair. ok, what?! no doubt these were seen somewhere on the runways this fall, HOWEVER, this look is most definitely an idea that is best left right there. Forever 21, it's not necessary to copy EVERYTHING you see on the runway. editing is most important.

annnd down off my soap box I step.

TEXAS FIGHT!

hang on to your hats longhorn fans, it's the most exciting game of the year! unless of course we can win ourselves another national championship....

I will be joining a bazillion other UT fans in watching the game today and I'm psyched! excited for the game, but also excited about the chili con queso and the cream cheese and bacon stuffed crescent rolls I'm working on right now.

It's 9:05, and yes OU still sucks (had to do it).

bailar la bamba

you probably know him as the first chicano rock star. I know him as the inspiration behind my newly discovered favorite burger EVER, the Ritchie Valen burger. potato-potato (different inflections and so forth, you catch my drift). recently Issac introduced me to Hut's Hamburgers and the rest is history. don't get me wrong, being an Austinite I clearly knew of Hut's...but for some reason both of my parents felt it necessary to keep this gem a secret and never take me there as a child (or adult, thanks guys). so long story short, I rarely have time for Hut's especially after work and therefore decided to attempt to recreate the masterpiece. this was my first true attempt at making a burger and aside from the slight pinkish color on one small piece, I feel like it was a smashing success. 

the burger consists of the following:

shredded cheese, chopped tomato, jalapeno, guacamole, mayo, and mustard. 

I didn't have hamburger buns so I used two slices sourdough bread which worked equally as well.

it's not as pretty but just as tasty. check out my version below:

yeah, it was good.

get it while it's hot

you'll be hard pressed to find this girl perusing the racks at Old Navy for oddly shaped pants and printed t-shirts...on most occasions. this day however, there is a great sale going on. I am a girl who loves a sale, so obviously I had to make sure there was nothing that might need to be added to my closet. low and behold I found plenty of things. right now, you'll get an extra 50% off all sale merchandise and they've got tons of great basics right now. I picked up a grand total of 7 items for (wait for it)....$28.00! 

I picked up three of these uber-soft tees for $2.50 a piece and have been wearing them all weekend.

I've got no idea how long this sale lasts, but for those of you who are in need of some fabulous basic tees and tanks I would run over to Old Navy and get one {maybe two?} in every color.

stuff I think about

who's idea was this?

 I hate you.

you need this

you will rarely find me writing about anything not closely related to fashion and food (my two favorite things), but I feel like I need to give Burt Bees a shout out. I read some good things about their all natural blemish stick so I picked one up and damned if it doesn't work like a charm. I got this stuff for around 8 bucks at Randalls (no doubt it would probably be much cheaper elsewhere but eh) and it does everything it promises. though I'm not prone to break outs, a red zit in the middle of my forehead definitely isn't the image I go for. the first night I got this thing I used it before bed and the next morning....nothin! pimple completely gone.  just try it. 

i love a sequin

there are two things I don't have: enough money to buy all the clothes I want, and a closet large enough to hold the ones I have. fortunately, I have a solution to both of these problems. thanks to Ikea, under-the-bed storage bins, and a boyfriend who is handy with a power drill, I have cleared just enough room for a few new additions to the 'ol closet. in the spirit of saving money, of which I do not have a lot, I decided to look for some bargains online that would do little damage to my bank account.

now, this girls loves sequins. I like them on anything, including but not limited to, accessories of all sorts, dresses, t-shirts, skirts, and shoes. there are a few little sequin numbers on my list of must-haves at the moment. I've been looking everywhere for a fabulous sequin blazer, preferably in color other than black but I have been slightly unsuccessful in this venture. a sequin vest and skirt = more things I feel I currently need.

 here are a few things I found that certainly won't break the bank:

$24.99 Arden B 

(on clearance! get it while it's hot!)

$15.80 Forever 21

$24.00 Arden B

$19.99 Arden B

(also clearance! if you are a medium grab it quick)

topshop and bebe also have some great sequin stuff so get to gettin. I know I will be.

part deux

continuing on to my favorite part of the NYC lunch, the grilled cheese. I'll be honest, I've made a few of these in my day but this one was definitely one of my favorites. also super simple which is always a plus.

what you'll need:

* 2 slices of sourdough bread (or whatever you like best. texas toast would be great too)

* 3 slices white cheddar cheese (2 is probably sufficient but more cheese is always best in my book)

*white onion

*butter

*dijon mustard

start by caramelizing the onions. do this by heating up the butter (a tablespoon or two) in a skillet on medium heat and adding the onion (in long slices). keep the heat on med/low and stir continuously to ensure that the onion caramelizes correctly and doesn't burn. once the onion is done butter one side of each of the bread slices. spread dijon mustard on the other side of each piece. add the cheddar and onion and throw on the skillet until golden brown. 

I was craving something spicy the last time I made this so I added some slices/sauteed jalapeno which turned out to be delicious.

enjoy!

tasty tidbits

I just realized that it's been an insanely long time since I shared a recipe with you all.  last February while in New York for fashion week, {*tear} I walked into Rue 57 for a little lunch. I have to admit, when I check out the menu which included french food, american food, and sushi, my first thought was wtf is this place? in this city that is filled with uber chic restaurants (and people) I was having a monster craving for a grilled cheese and {lucky me} they actually had one on the menu! this was not just any grilled cheese. it was a white cheddar grilled cheese with caramelized onions on sourdough with a frisee salad on the side. I've decided to break this recipe into two, mostly to make you wait for the best part. so...check out my version of the frisee side salad that is super simple and equally delicious.

what you'll need:

*frisee (you can buy it in bulk at Central Market)

*bacon

*granny smith apples

*balsamic vinaigrette 

*olive oil

cook the bacon and chop into small pieces. cut apples into very thin slices. throw some frisee on a plate. on top add your apples and bacon. whisk together the balsamic vinaigrette and olive oil (I just add a tidge of olive oil but it's totally up to you). toss the salad with the dressing and voile! you have a delicious, oh-so-simple side salad. if you are someone who enjoys blue cheese or gorgonzola {I am not} you could easily add one of those in for even more flavor.

bon appetite! 

must. have. these. things.

there is a long list of trends that I will never, and I mean never, participate in. case in point: harem pants. apparently they are "in" but you will never catch me walking around like I just walked out of an MC Hammer music video circa 1990. however....there is a fall trend that has slowly crept it's way onto my must have list. I truly feel that my life will not be full until I have a pair {possibly two?} of over the knee boots in my closet. before you judge, I really feel like I could {maybe} pull this off without looking like a Vivian Ward clone (look it up people). Below are just a few of the boots I've found that I need this season. "

Twiggy" boot by Joie

Giuseppe Zanotti

Nine West "Husky" boot

think what you will but I'm gonna rock em.

no excuses

though I'm still hopped up on benadryl (aka my lifesaver) I have officially put away the wet clothes, migraine meds, and eucalyptus oil. I'm feeling super behind on fashion week so, lucky you, I will be doing several entries this evening. this will be followed by me truly updating this thing daily. so hold on to your hats people, it's going to be a long night of catching up on all things fashion.

side note: remember that project I was working on a little while back? probably not. I think I'm almost done though so I will be sharing with all of you for opinions and such.

it's the most wonderful time of the year!

fashion week has officially kicked off in New York, and while I usually reserve catchy jingles for Christmas time and cold weather, nothing gets me quite as hyped as a good runway show. due to unforeseeable circumstances (ie baby fever at the office) I was not able to make it to fashion week this season. so, instead of drowning my misery with a bottle {box} of pinot grigio and a back issue of Vogue, I will be keeping up with all the shows from the comfort of my living room. first up...BCBG Max Azria. this season his looks, while cohesive, play with lots of different hemlines, necklines, and patterns and I am loving it! a year ago I would've worn hammer pants and Crocs before I would've even thought about a one shoulder top, but this year I'm totally digging them.

mmm mmm good.

tomorrow Charlotte Ronson, Jason Wu, Phillip Lim, Rag and Bone, and Nicole Miller. can we say pyched?!

dude, that's sick

what is that? that is me. I'm not one to throw in the towel and start bitching and moaning about a runny nose but allergies are kicking my ass. I've been gloating all year about my sudden immunity to allergies, yet here I am...karma's a bitch. ladies and gents please bear with me. I promise I will start posting again tomorrow. 

my mom has made it quite clear that I'd better get my butt into gear and start sending some entertainment her way...

baby it's cold outside

assuming the weather in Austin ever drops below 100+ degrees, I am dying to get my hands on fall must have #2 (ok #2 and #3  but similar categories so I'm combining): vests and peplum jackets. I have endless theories on fashion one of which is that a girl can never have too many jackets. I myself have a closet full of fabulous (some of which are far too thick to ever wear in this city) coats that rarely make it out save for a few "ice" days and of course NY vacays. this season's peplum jackets are insanely chic and are absolutely something I need several of. I use the word "need" a lot, but never loosely. I need all of these things. obviously. and vests, well vests I just like in general for any season so I figured they could piggy back on the jackets. 

Forever 21--$29.80

H&M--$90

LaRok--$278

Erin Wasson--$209

Ronny Kobo--$219

**Needless to say I know where my next paycheck is going...

what a stud

since fashion week is upon us (just a few short weeks away!) I've decided that I will be sharing my fall must haves with you all. I'm dying to see what the forecast for spring 2010 is, but for now I'm searching for some great fall staples for my wardrobe. one thing I simply can't live with out this fall is studs. I want them...on everything. here are a few accessories that I've been lusting after:

the Botkier "studio" clutch is the perfect accessory for a night out. I love love love Botkier in general, but this super soft leather envelope bag is one of my faves.  and best of all, at $98 it really won't break the bank. It's a great staple that you can use a million times over.

You can find this fab bag here.

I need, like more than food or water need, these studded platform Steve Madden's. check out the heel on these babies! buy them here....but not before I get my hands on them.

ladies meet the Alexander Wang "Coco" mini duffle. she's soft with a bit of an edge and definitely a bag you want to have for fall. any fashionista planning on carrying this baby better start saving now because it carries a hefty price tag; $895 to be exact. is she worth it? totally.

I have a little project in the works and assuming it works out, (theres a 50/50 chance really) I will most definitely be sharing it here. stay tuned....