Friday's Fancies #46: Express Yourself

Today's Friday's Fancies is all about picking out an outfit that reflects you. Easy, right?

This is pretty much the epitome of a day to day outfit:

comfortable & simple while still being interesting!

1. Yes, I've shown this scarf a bunch. It's because I own it and love it. It's soft and colorful and perfect for the holidays! The best part? It's under $15!

2. I wear brown boots just about every day in the fall & winter. Boring? Maybe. These Madewell babies could be mine any day.

3. With the Gorjana cyber monday sale I just couldn't avoid getting my initial ring any longer. Can't wait for it to arrive. Gorgeous, right?

4. I rotate between a bunch of pairs of dark skinnies throughout the week. Listen, I didn't promise this outfit would be wild & exciting...

5. I may be boring in the jean and boot department, but I try to wear bold colors too, like this green sweater! 

6. No outfit is complete without a fun necklace, right? This BaubleBar one will do the trick!

7. Last but not least, if I could afford this bag, it would absolutely be in my day-to-day bag. Perfect & polka-dotted.

What items are your go-tos?

If the polka dot bag is one of them and you feel like passing it on to me, I'd be cool with that.

xo, lp

$15 PANTONE HOLIDAY

This post is part about gift giving, and part about proof of how well my sister can read my mind.

warning: i say Pantone a ton. i didn't get paid for it...but if you feel like taking a drink every time you see the word "Pantone"...go for it.

The other day at work, my coworker Emily was talking about getting a Pantone iPhone case, and I went into  my usual snit of whining about there not being any cool Pantone cases for Android. Wop-wop.

4 days later I went home for Thanksgiving and my sister gave me my Hanukkah gift early: a set of Pantone Postcards!!! Yep. I may have freaked.

So friends, if you have design/fashion/creative friends who love Pantone, here are some gifts for you:

1. I love the Pantone mugs, and someday when I win the lottery I'm buying every dang one. $15, and  a perfectly colorful way to start the morning.

2. The famed Pantone iPhone case ($35) I spoke of. Emily: if you're reading this, just send your loved ones to this post to get you all things Pantone. 

3. These Pantone ornaments are kind of my dream. You can buy them individually for $15 or as a whole set for a discounted price. If anyone has one of these pretty things on their tree, share a picture of it! 

4. Um. Pantone Socks ($14). Need I say more?

5. I feel like these Pantone notecards ($15) are almost too pretty to write on and give out...

6. If you aren't sick of Pantone by now, check out this sweet laptop case ($31)!

Have anyone on your list that is as Pantone obsessed as I am?

...and anyone else amazed those ornaments are only $15?!?

xo, lp

TARTAN TIME

I know technically the holidays is the time you're supposed to wear tartan, but I love it year round. 

Proof:

via Instagram @lpodlich

Since it seems to be especially oh-so cool this year, I thought I'd do a round up of a few of my favorite tartan items this year! I'm loving all of the new blue patterns, especially in all the accessories like makeup bags and iPad cases:

1-3: Clearly you can't go wrong with a classic red tartan scarf. I have the one on the far right from Target, but the first deep red one from Ralph Lauren or the bright red and teal from ASOS are great options too!

4. Hi GAP, your tartan makeup bag kicks butt. Care to send me one? Great.

5. Again, I'm not cool enough to have an iPhone, but if I did I would already own this awesome case from Juicy.

6. Again, GAP, killin' it. Again, I don't have an iPad so I can't enjoy this gem. Please let me know if you get it so I can do that living-vicariously-through-you-thing.

Are you a holiday plaid/tartan fan?

...or do you wear it all year round like me?

xo, lp

Find more Tartan here....

(the easiest) CRANBERRY APPLE GALETTE

My dear friends.

I've been making this recipe for a few years now, and while I started doing so with my mom for Thanksgiving, it is now my go-to dessert to bring to parties. I can whip it up without measuring a bit and have it done and baked in under 45 minutes. Booya.

It's INFINITELY easier than a pie, and looks like something out of Martha Stewart (yes, horn tooting going on here). I present to you, my friends, the only holiday dessert recipe you need. Pin it now, thank me later:

What you'll need to make it happen:

1 1/2 McIntosh or Granny Smith apples, peeled.

1 lemon (both zest and juice)

1 pre-made pie crust

3/4 cups fresh cranberries

1 egg white

1 Tablespoon flour

1 Tablespoon cinnamon

2 Tablespoons granulated sugar (plus extra for sprinkling)

Parchment paper

How to make it happen:

Step 1: Cut your peeled apples into thin half moon slices, saving the ends (yes, I call them the "butts") too, for surrounding the cranberries.

Step 2: Mix together your apples, cranberries, cinnamon, sugar, flour, lemon juice and zest in a big bowl, until the fruit is thoroughly coated.

Step 3: Roll out your dough on a parchment lined cookie sheet, and begin layering your apples about 1.5 inches from the edge. Yes, take the time to make them look pretty- they won't be covered in crust like a pie!

Step 4: Fill the middle of the apple slice circle with cranberries, and keep them from rolling away by surrounding them with the apple ends!

Step 5: Now comes the time when you get to make the crust all pretty. Rub some egg white on your crust to get started, and begin to fold and pinch on a diagonal around the crust, sealing over and over with the egg white. Just fold far enough in to cover the edges of the apples.

Step 6: Do a final layer of egg white wash around the top of the crust and sprinkle well with sugar!

Step 7: Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 30-35 minutes on a TOP rack. This of course depends on how hot your oven runs, but mine is pretty toasty, so it gets the job done quickly. Take out once golden brown and allow to cool!

 I tried only making 2 of these for Thanksgiving this year and my sister promptly told me that would not be sufficient. Boy was she right!

What is your go-to holiday dessert dish?

Any recipes I should try? Do share!

xo, lp

RAINBOW VEGGIE TURKEY?

Oh, hey.
Fancy meeting you here...

I haven't posted since Wednesday, and it's time to get back to business!

Hope you all had a safe and wonderful Thanksgiving. Michael and I drove to MN after work Wednesday, and then back to WI Thursday night laaaate in order to get him back to work Friday morning. It was a lot of driving with a lot of coffee, Mountain Dew, and sugar...but completely worth it to see my family. They're kind of amazing. 

I made a few things for the dinner, my favorite being this guy:

(Yes, veggie turkey! My sister Ann and I took a lot of pride in making him...and eating him later!)

The craziest thing was that when we got to MN it was about 60 degrees and pure blue skies (see left) and when we departed, there was snow accumulation (see right)!!! 

(find me on Instagram here)

Last year I made these rainbow glitter ornaments, and I pulled them out this weekend for our tiny, 1.5 foot tall tree. Aren't they pretty?!

(see how I made them here)

Besides the literal veggie turkey shown above, I made a few of these this weekend, and I'll be sharing the recipe for them TOMORROW!:

Now, something I am SUPER excited about is the Gorjana Cyber Monday Sale. I'm not a Black Friday shopper, but this is something I can get down with. 40% off EVERYTHING and Free Shipping!!

My absolute favorite necklace is Gorjana, and I have yet to decide what to grab today. Their rings are pretty, and I've been eyeing the Initial ring for a while... it's under $20 with the discount + free shipping! Here's a few lovlies:

1. Gold Madison Ring // 2. Teal Tahiti Ring // 3. Gold Initial Ring

4. Silver Initial Ring // 5. Rose Gold Madison Ring // 6. Eros Ring Set

7. Gold Number Ring // 8. Gold Aubrey Ring // 9. Gold Shimmer Disc Ring

Which Gorjana piece (ring or otherwise) would you snag?

Or, much more importantly, did YOU make a veggie turkey last week?

xo, lp

WE HAVE A WINNER!

The winner of the Sincerely, Me PJD Monogram Necklace giveaway is....

Samantha or The Brunette One! 

Congrats lady! Emma will be contacting you!!

Oh, and just a reminder, stop by Emma's shop to get 10% off everything with the code BEAUTYANDBEARD for the next 4 days!!

Happy Wednesday everyone!

xo, lp 

NUTELLA PUPPY CHOW. YUP.

Wow. People are crazy when it comes to Nutella- that stuff has a legit cult following!

While I do think it's good, I can never use it in the way the commercials suggest, like on toast in the morning- it's just too sweet for that. Thus, I decided to make good use of it by just adding even more sugar to it, and making......

What you'll need:

4 cups Crispix 

1/2 cup Nutella

1/2 semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 cup powdered sugar

1 paper grocery bag

How to make it happen:

1. Set up a double boiler to melt your chocolate chips with your Nutella. (You can try to microwave it, but just make sure not to bake the heck out of your chocolate in there or else it'll seize up). Adding the chocolate chips to the Nutella is purely to harden it up a bit so you don't have a super melty mess on your hands!

2. Dump it in with your Crispix, and stir gently. Crispix are better than Chex simple because they're stronger, so you're less likely to just have smashed pieces of puppy chow.

3. Dump half of your powdered sugar in the bowl and lightly mix, before tossing it all in the paper bag with the other half of the sugar. Why? This way you won't lose too much chocolate sticking to the sides of the bag, since it'll already have a little sugar coating!

4. Throw in the fridge, and enjoy!

Mmm-mm good, right? I brought it into work yesterday and people ate it in a heartbeat!

(not a Nutella fan? just sub the Nutella for peanut butter!)

Are you a Nutella cult member?

If so, you've got to try this!

xo, lp

GIVE IT A GOOD SHAKE

Between a Packer win and 55 degree weather this weekend, I'm pretty dang happy. Friday night Michael and I had a good old fashioned date night and went to see Lincoln. SO. GOOD. We lived in Richmond when it was being filmed, so we were totally geeking out anytime they showed anything there. The movie kicked ass, by the way

On top of that, some favorite friends were in town which meant foosball and beer, which is pretty much the epitome of a Wisconsin weekend in my eyes. 

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Here's the brain dump of the week:

I don't know if it's the sunny weather or what, but looking back at my Instagram pictures from the week I dressed like I thought I was a Crayola crayon. 

J.Crew Painter's Tee / J.Crew Giraffe Necklace / Old Navy Green Flats

Target Kieran Boots /  Green F21 Sweater (similar here) 

I'm not a big "purse" person, but this turquoise thing might just convert me. Under $60. Sold. 

via Modcloth

I'm super excited to share tomorrow's recipe...and although the picture below might give it away, I promise it's not just the regular old kind you're used to...

Did you enter the Monogram Necklace giveaway yet? Just a few hours left!

How was your weekend everyone?

Anyone else amped it's Thanksgiving week?

xo, lp

FRIDAY'S FANCIES #45: AUTUMN FAVORITE

This week we we're supposed to make an outfit inspired by our favorite autumn food or drink.

I'm super boring, I won't lie. I don't like anything pumpkin flavored like the great majority of the world, so that nixes just about all of the fall special drinks/baked goods out there. Bummer. 

Thus, hold onto your hats folks, my favorite autumn drink is....a skim latte. Wop-wop. I know, pizzazz-less, right? 

1. Let's start with this gorgeous latte colored silk top. I can see it dressed down with jeans for brunch or paired with a sparkly skirt for New Year's Eve...

2. Black skinnies = staple.

3. These ASOS studded gloves remind me of the little foam bubbles. Was that a stretch? Yes. Trying, here folks. Gimme a break. 

4. How gorgeous are these Banana Republic earrings? That is what we call class bling, my friends. 

5. Brown riding boots = staple x 2

6. Growing up I would always drink my hot cocoa out of a little mug with a pig on it (cuter than it sounds), and now that I'm all grown up and such, I think this owl mug is in order.

What's your favorite fall treat?

Anyone else a boring latte lover?

xo, lp

MONOGRAM NECKLACE GIVEAWAY!

People.

I am so so so excited to share this amazing giveaway and lovely Etsy shop with you!

A while back on my hunt for the perfect monogram necklace I stumbled across Sincerely, Me Personalized Jewelry Designs. All the monogram necklaces were ridiculously affordable and shipping was free- I was convinced it was some kind of scam, I kid you not. Especially with places charging $100+ for these things! Insanity!

Well after messaging back and forth with Emma, the shop owner based in New York, I realized she was just a sweet lady offering up gorgeous products at a fair price. I was thrilled when she said I could do a giveaway for you lovely people.

As you've probably seen on the blog, Instagram, and Twitter, I've been wearing my Sincerely, Me monogram necklace too:

 Perfect, right?

Now, we're all realistic here and not everyone can win, but Emma rocks so much she's offering everyone 10% off her shop (AND free shipping) with the code BEAUTYANDBEARD. Awesome, no? How sweet  would this be as a gift for your mom/sister/girlfriends?

(images via sincerely, me PJD)

So what are you waiting for? Go for it!!!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Remember, even if you don't win, you have 2 weeks to use that 10% off code BEAUTYANDBEARD!

Good luck!!

xo , lp

WINTER VEGETABLE SOUP [even carnivores will love it]

I'm the pickiest soup eater ever.

I either like pureed soups, or chunky soups that only have specific veggies in them. I don't like beans, celery, or tomatoes in soup. Like I said : pickiest. soup. eater. ever. 

Thus, this soup HAS to be awesome for me to love it. Trust me.

What's even better is that it's a crock pot recipe, so work is minimal!

Now, let me say first Michael did most of the work in this soup. I supervised, and we both made seasoning decisions (crucial, of course). Just had to give him credit as the real soup maker in the house...

What you'll need to make it happen:

32 ounces of vegetable stock // 8 ounces water // 6 ounces tomato paste

2 cups chopped carrots // 2 cups chopped cauliflower // 2 cups chopped red potatoes

2 cloves garlic, minced // 2 small onions, chopped // 3 tablespoons pesto

1 tsp salt // 2 tsp black pepper // 2 tsp dried oregano // 2 Tbsp olive oil

dried parsley for garnish

How to make it happen:

Step 1: Throw your vegetable stock, water, tomato paste, olive oil, pesto, carrots, and potatoes in your crock pot (let cook for 30 minutes).

Step 2: While that cooks, sautee your onions in a little oil or butter and set aside.

Step 3: Throw in your cauliflower, onions, and seasonings, and let it go!

* You can absolutely throw all your veggies in at once, I just wanted to keep the cauliflower from getting too cooked down

** As it is with crockpots, either let it on all day on low so it's ready for dinner, or cook it on high so it's ready to enjoy in a few hours

 Crunchy bread is also absolutely necessary! 

 Enjoy!

Easy, right?

Nothing like a warm, flavorful soup to get rid of the chill of winter (Yes I can say winter- it was snowing again today)!

What's your favorite winter soup?

Email me your recipes/ideas: beautyandbeard@gmail.com!

xo, lp

SOCIALLY ACCEPTABLE BLANKET?

This weekend was awesome. One day it was 66 and sunny, the next it was 50 and a total downpour.

I'll make this all short and sweet as to not bore all of you, okay? Great.

----------------------

 My gorgeous photographer sister was in town for the (mermaid themed) birthday party of my niece, Lyddie.:

(photo via louisa marion photography)

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I am SO SO SO excited about an AMAZING giveaway I have this week from an awesome Etsy shop. I won't reveal the shop now, but you may have seen on Instagram how much I was in love with the gorgeous necklace I received. Make sure to check back this week to enter to win!

 (find me on Instagram here)

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Speaking of Instagram, here are a few shots from last week:

1. I loved being able to vote in another election. What I didn't love about about election night was how straight up crazy people were being on Twitter. Yikes. Whatever, #fourmoreyears people. I'd also like to high-five Minnesota, Maryland, Maine, and Washington. Thanks for not being biggots like most of the country, guys!

2-5. Just a few outfits this week. Especially loving the black ankle boots (on sale now!) / softest grey heather tee / comfy brown riding boots / cute taupe wedges

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I pulled out this outfit from the pack because this sweater is the COMFIEST DANG THING EVER. It's like a blanket with sleeves.. and it's totally socially acceptable. Whoever invented shawl cardigans rocks.

Get the shawl cardigan here // black ankle boots here //  julep nail polish here 

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This week I'll be sharing the absolutely perfect winter vegetable soup:

(find other recipes here)

How was your week/weekend? 

Anyone else digging the shawl cardigans? I'm telling you, they're just socially acceptable blankets. Awesome.

xo, lp

FRIDAY'S FANCIES #44: Bonfire Ready

I've had a grand total of ZERO bonfires this fall, which is kind of a sin being from the Midwest.

It's supposed to be really hot this weekend...like 60 degrees hot! Woo hoo! Which means come night time, it'll be perfect weather for a bonfire, and wearing this:

1. Love this cozy beanie from Gap. Navy. Cable. Perfect.

2. I know full well I'm not the only one to be featuring this scarf lately. I got it the other day at Target for $12, and it is ridiculously soft! Get yours here before they're gone!

3. Fancy sweaters are cool and all, but I like cozy grey sweatshirt like this TopShop one is where it's at to be comfy outdoors!

4. These earrings clearly have nothing to do with bonfires, but aren't they gorgeous? They could be for your every day just as much as they could be for a special occasion! Under $30! 

5. I cannot afford these boots. But I want them. Now. Frye. Gah. 

6. If there's anything you take away from this post it's that you've gotta get these maximum heat leggings from Gap. They'll keep you toasty warm! 

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

If anyone is having a bonfire...feel free to send an invite my way...

xo, lp

TREAT YO' SELF

I feel like every retailer is having sales like crazy right now, and ASOS is one of them. For the next 24 hours they're doing the good old 25% off everything with code ACE25!

Here are some of my picks!

I think that this one miiiiiiight be my favorite:

So go head over to ASOS and treat yo' self. 

Get me something while you're at it too...?

xo, lp

THIS WILL MAKE YOU HAPPY. VERY HAPPY.

People. 

This week is flying by, isn't it?

Let's first talk about how awesome it is that all those terrible political smear ads are FINALLY over with. Bleh. When do we get an election where there is a positive focus? Probably never. Yup, just being Debbie Downer over here. 

SORRY. Sidetracked. I'm super stoked about my post today, because it's about an awesome company (that's now blowing up) called Social Print Studio. 

Oh crap. Before we go any further let me state this is NOT a sponsored post. I ain't getting anything for talking about this company (except an email from my mother later today telling me not to say "ain't"). I just love them, because they have great customer service and they make the world a place full of happy pretty pictures. So there. Now read on.

So you've all heard me talk about Printstagram, which is where I printed off a ton of my Instagram into little and big squares. They cover the walls around my desk at work and I constantly get comments on them.

($12 for 24  4x4 squares, or 48 2x2 squares)

 Well they just unveiled their newest project, Printstagram Calendars!! They have a few different formats, and they totally kick ass. What's amazing is they're $40. YEAH. 365 pictures for $40? That's unheard of. 

Tear 'em off. Give 'em away. Frame 'em. 

Oh, and in case you want some more cool things, they have these mini books - two books of 50 pictures for $12!

Or 252 stickers for $10. SERIOUSLY! $10. Killin' it here, Printstagram peeps (yes I said peeps. back off).

Those are just a few cool products, check out their website for more!

What a fun gift, right? I've given a few of my square prints away to people, and they're always amazed at how cool the squares look!

Which product would you go for?

That calendar is too good of a deal to pass up!

xo, lp

* p.s find me on instagram HERE!

** p.p.s social print studio : if you guys are reading this, sorry for sounding like such a groupie...
** p p p s yes, i voted. and watched the coverage. and tweeted like crazy. #4moreyears!