HOLIDAY MOOLA? (new year's finest)

Oh heyyyyyyyyyy.

Have you guys been around the blog world lately? I sure have not been. Oops.

I can't even blame being away, I've been back at work since the day after Christmas, but I've been too lazy to post. That's the truth, folks. 

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Now, I am guessing a few of you out there got some gift cards or good old fashioned cash for a holiday gift, right? Sure you did. Here are a few fun ideas for what to do with that moola- whether you decide to get a few small gifts & save the rest...or just go right ahead and splurge! For FF this week I thought it might be fun to do New Year's finest accessories rather than an outfit! Here are my picks:

SAVE:

1. These ASOS mittens are straight up adorable, and for $12, you can wave 'em at everyone you know.

2. For me, the washi tape will never say die. I am obsessed with these Madewell ones, and for a measly $4 a pop, you can grab a handful of them without making a dent in your Christmas cash.

3. Everyone loves gold polka dots right now, and what better way to display them..but with  a $17 bangle?

4. Everyone knows the Target+Neiman Marcus collaboration failed. BUT that just means the best thing from the collection, these Marc Jacobs pouches, are now under $35. YEAH. So for you name brand ladies on a budget, scoop one of these up stat!

5. How hilarious is this old school phone handset? Michael got one of these for xmas and it rocks.

SPLURGE:

1. GAH. New Kate Spade watches kill me. Go navy for class and pink for spunk.

2. These Brandy Pham for BaubleBar rings are perfect for stacking or bright enough to make a statement on their own, and at $68, they're not toooo much of a splurge!

3. J.crew. Green. Bag. Must. Hug.

4. Now why is a $24 item in the splurge section? Because for me $24 is a ridiculous amount to pay for lipstick...sorry folks. However with a little extra holiday cash, I think this perfect NARS color be a little more justifiable.

5. Oh Kate Spade idiom necklace, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways. Tons of colors, $58. PLUS they're reversible with a witty Kate Spade phrase on the back!

What would you grab from each of these groups?

Washi tape and Kate Spade Idiom necklace for me, please.

xo, lp

to you and yours

yes, it is late in the day...but i'm assuming most of you won't see this until tomorrow anyway!

Merry Christmas, friends.

(stockings courtesy of michael's family!)

SNOWMAGGEDON

Please excuse my absence yesterday...

In case you were not around a tv/computer/newspaper in the last few days, the Midwest got a thorough spanking by a winter storm yesterday. At our apartment we got wellll over a foot of snow. 

This picture is from early in the day, only around 8-10 inches:

Necessary peppermint cocoa:

 All the pine  trees were completely collapsed- heavy heavy snow!! (ps- like Michael's pants tucked in his boots?)

 As if the ridiculous amount of snow wasn't enough, winds were 30-40 miles per hour:

Anyone else in the Midwest get to enjoy this storm?

Safe travels everyone!

Be sure to give your families extra hugs this weekend!

xo, lp

DIYS OF CHRISTMAS PAST

After yesterday's post of treats of holiday past, I figured I'd do a DIY past post too!

Here are a few favorites from last year:

Paint Chip Ombre Tree Cards

Paint Chip Wreath Cards

My personal favorite: Marbleized Ornaments!

Cutout Snowflake Garland

Chevron Stockings

Winter White Tealights

What kind of DIY holiday crafts have you done?

Give me some ideas for next year, people!

xo, lp

TREATS OF CHRISTMAS PAST

Happy Tuesday!

I've rounded up a few of my favorite recipes to make & share for the holidays for y'all today.

Just click the links to take you to a full recipe!

*fair warning- some of these blog posts are old, and the pictures kind of stink. The recipes are still top-notch!

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Favorite Dip:

Cranberry Bleu Cheese Pecan Dip

(best served with Trader Joes Gorgonzola crackers)

Favorite Chocolate Treat:

Peppermint Bark

(Best served with hot cocoa!)

Favorite Pie:

Apple Cranberry Galette

(Best served with vanilla ice cream)

Favorite Drink:

Cran-Lime Champagne Fizz

(Best served allll by itself)

Favorite Bar:

Toasted Coconut Caramel Bars

(Best served with copious amounts of milk)

Favorite Bread:

Lemon Cranberry Bread

(Best served with a fresh cup of coffee)

Favorite Candy:

Chewy Caramels 

(Best served with a good hot toddy)

Favorite Finger Food:

Nutella Puppy Chow

(Best served with excessive amounts of napkins)

In case these aren't enough for you just check out the full recipe list here! 

What's your favorite holiday treat?

If you have a great recipe to share, sent it on over! 

beautyandbeard@gmail.com

xo, lp 

THAT ONE TIME I MADE A TREE OUT OF JELLO

Wisconsin doesn't feel like making up it's mind lately. On day it looked like this outside....

....and a few days later it was rainy and 45. Anyone out there having a true cold winter yet? 

Luckily it is chilly enough to wear cozy wool coats (in bright bright colors, of course):

 (find me on Instagram here)

 One highlight of the weekend was watching the Packers beat the Bears. Sorry Illinois friends- it just wasn't meant to be. Since I was feeling oh so classy, I decided to make a jello shot Christmas tree. Begin your judging......NOW:

If you're still looking for ideas for giftwrapping, make sure to checkout this post on fun ways to wrap with kraft paper!

Tomorrow I'll be sharing a round up of some of my favorite treats to make for the office, so if you're looking for something sweet to bring into work be sure to check back in!

How was your weekend, friends?

Any jello shot trees or other classy alcoholic/food dishes involved in it?

xo, lp

Friday's Fancies #48: Disco ball NYE

NYE is coming up in a few weeks, and I think it's pretty well known that it is one of the few nights a year it's acceptable to wear as many sequins as you dang well please.

I figure if you're going the glittery route- you might as well go all out and own it...right?

Thus, I bring you the dress that may just make you look like the prettiest disco ball you've ever seen:

This dress from TopShop is completely NYE appropriate. Some may see it as a little tacky- but I just think it's perfect for the occasion. The surprise low back is sure to make you be remembered! It's over 50% off right now too...just sayin'.... 

As for the earrings, these Kate Spade small square studs come in a color for every personality. If you're trying to stand out even more- grab the neon pink or purple pair...or if you're attempting to tone it down, grab the burgundy or royal blue.

Which color would you pair with this sparkly dress?

I'd have to go neon pink. Go big or go home, folks. 

xo, lp

LAJ DAILY PAGE NOTEBOOK

Oh hey there friends. 

I'm here to talk about holding yourself accountable. 

I know some of you are thinking: WOMP WOMP.

WAIT! Before you leave! Give it a chance- this isn't a sappy motivational/fitfluential/blahblah post. I promise. 

I am lucky because I have a blogger friend that became a real-life friend, Dani- who not only runs a fashion blog, but is also a Social Media Manager and an Etsy shop owner. Through her little shop Life's A Journal, she sells Daily Notepad Pages (and blogger pads!). You go to her shop and have a few simple options of pretty pads that will simplify your life. 

 This is what the pages look like:

They're the size of letter paper, so although there's a lot on it, there is PLENTY of space to write. It's like all the gadgets/planners you could have rolled into one. Meal tracker, event tracker, fitness tracker, to do list, to buy list, and even a place to write goals for the day. 

Now, I'm not stupid, I know this kind of thing isn't for everyone- but I promise it is really effective. I've been  tracking the amount of water I drink everyday, and there is something creepily satisfying about crossing off each of those water glasses whenever I drink one. On top of that I've been keeping track of meals, and their calorie totals- just as a way to check out what I'm putting into my body each day- not even as a weight loss tool! I definitely don't use every section each day- as you can see below:

I know setting goals for yourself may sound corny- but honestly, since I started using these pads and writing different goals each day- I've really been sticking to them. I feel like while this is an awesome gift for a friend or family member- it's also one of those gifts that you should get yourself. I love buying presents for people- but sometimes it's necessary to spend a little money on yourself, especially when it's for a product like this.

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Dani kind of kicks butt, and is offering everyone 15% off Life's A Journal products  with the code ORGANIZE2013 until January 1st! Yeah. THAT long. So you can get it now for a Christmas gift for someone- or a New Year's resolution tool for yourself! 

How do you hold yourself accountable?

If you don't have a way yet, try these!

xo, lp

* NO I was NOT paid to write this, nor would I if I didn't actually use this (which I do daily, ask my coworkers). Dani did give me the pad- but that's because we're actual friends...unless she was bribing me...Dani....were you...!? Kidding. But seriously. Go get yo'self a pad people, hold yourself accountable!

8 WAYS TO WRAP WITH KRAFT PAPER!

Let's cut to the chase. 

I'm not some grand old innovator here to wrap with Kraft paper, it has been ridiculously popular for quite a few years now, but it doesn't make me love it any less. These are a few ways I wrapped some of my presents this year, and they are easy, and beyond cute (yesi'mbiased).

 IDEA #1: SPRAY PAINT A TREE!

Or, you know, anything holiday-ish. Cut out a tree in any piece of cardboard (I used a cereal box), lay it on a pre-wrapped gift, spray paint the heck out of it, and voila!

IDEA #2: USE A PICTURE!

Rather than boring old to/from tags, use pictures to denote who the gift is for! I used Instagram pictures I printed via Prinstagram, which I think is still taking Xmas orders. I used some that were obvious- like a photo of the person the gift was for, and others that were inside jokes only one person would get:

 IDEA #3: TINY TARTAN TREES

Now, I work for a company that has plenty of plaid/tartan prints on hand - but you could easily print some offline, or just use other patterned wrapping paper! Adhere on with modpodge or gluesticks:

IDEA #4: TINSELTOWN

Yes, easiest idea ever...but oh so festive! Use double sided tape to stick some of this shiny stuff on:

IDEA #5: HOMEMADE BOW/SIMPLE RIBBON

Sometimes less is more, ya know? If you see the old Christmas movies, the presents are always wrapped with a simple red bow. To get this classic look, just overlap two loops and secure with another piece of ribbon in the center!

IDEA #6: SIMPLE SNOWFLAKE

Giving a gift for Hanukkah, or just not into the super Christmasy look? Throw on a snowflake ornament (available at Target/Walgreens for $1) with a small band of ribbon, and you're good to go. Bonus? The recipient also has a new ornament to add to their tree!

IDEA #7: RIBBON WRAP

Go to your local craft store and get a few spools of fabric ribbon rather than the papery stuff. Layer different colors together, adhering with double sided tape on the back of the gift. I went with the candy cane look:

 IDEA #8: ORNAMENT CHAIN

I am a huge fan of getting decorations on super sale after Christmas. I got a bucket of 20 of the ornaments below at Target for $1.50 last year- ridiculous, right? Since we don't have a big tree yet, I've been using them as decorations for gifts instead. Just string little ornaments on a ribbon and tape onto a big box. If you're looking for ornaments to use this year, Target has a ton in their dollar section!

So there you have it. 8 ridiculously easy ways to wrap with kraft paper!

Do you have a special way to wrap your gifts?

Leave a comment or share on Twitter today:: @lpodlich!

xo, lp 

CRANBERRY (lemon) BREAD

If you've been keeping track, this is my third week in a row sharing a baking recipe including cranberries.

No, this wasn't by accident.

Since you can only find fresh cranberries in the stores for a few months out of the year, I always make sure to share a lot of recipes that use them around the holidays! This recipe is a great one to bring into work because it's tart and tangy rather than cloyingly sweet like the other holiday sweets out there. 

If you use little loaf pans to bake these, they look adorable with a little bit of twine or ribbon wrapped around them!

What you'll need to make it happen:

3 cups flour

4 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

2 1/4 cups fresh cranberries

3 teaspoons lemon zest (could also use orange!)

1 2/3 cups sugar

1/2 cup skim milk

2/3 cup veggie or canola oil

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

4 large eggs

How to make it happen:

Step 1: Mix together your flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. 

Step 2: In a separate bowl, mix your cranberries, sugar, zest, milk, oil, vanilla, and eggs. Once well mixed, slowly add in your flour mixture.

Step 3: Lightly grease two bread pans, and evenly distribute your mixture in each. ( If you want to use small bread pans to give the loaves as gifts, this will be enough batter for 5-6 small pans.)

Step 4: Put your bread in a 350 degree oven for 45 minutes (40 for the smaller pans). You'll know it's done by inserting a toothpick or knife and pulling it out cleanly!

Step 5: Let cool for 15 minutes and pop out of the pan. Enjoy with butter or just by itself!

 Like I said, wrap it up and give it as a gift!

Now, if you love this bread and want to make it year round, be sure to buy a few extra bags of cranberries and freeze them- this way you'll have cranberries to use all year long!

What is your favorite holiday treat to bring into work?

If you don't have one yet, try this one this year!

xo, lp 

SNOWSTORMS AND POLKA DOT CANDLES

PEOPLE!

I won't start with any small talk this week, because I am too excited!

WE GOT OUR FIRST SNOWSTORM THIS WEEKEND!

Okay, maybe "storm" is a little much, but it snowed for about 10 hours straight! Everything is so much prettier with a fresh coat of snow, isn't it? I snapped this pic early in the morning yesterday:

Friday one of my amazing coworkers hosted a white elephant/ ugly sweater party at her house for a group of work friends. She and I made the lovely background you see in the photo- and as everyone came into the party we made them strike a pose! She compiled them all into this awesome collage:

(Since I was taking all the photos I'm the last one...holding a gold unicorn. Yup, sign of a good party!)

In other news, to my fellow chosen peeps celebrating: Happy Hanukkah!! Please note the awesome pink polka dot candles I've been using:

 Besides Saturday being the first night of Haunkkah, it was also my pretty sister's birthday AND a certain couple's anniversary. Yep, happy 3 years to Beauty & the Beard! We clean up okay, right?

I got a new bittersweet colored wool coat at work the other day, and I have been wearing it everywhere. Last week I had to take a picture because I kind of looked like a box of Crayolas had exploded on me: 

(find me on Instagram here)

Oh, and in case you were wondering, here is the recipe I'll be sharing tomorrow....

Also something to look for this week is a post on wrapping with Kraft paper. I know, I can feel your excitement already- CALM YOURSELVES!

Thanks for sticking with me in the random recaps.

How was your weekend, friends?

Anyone else get some awesome snow??

xo, lp

Friday's Fancies #47: Pretty Plaid

Well, clearly I didn't look ahead of schedule to see that this week's FF would be all about plaid...because I was a fool and did a post all about it last week. Oops.

Thus, I'll leave you with a not overly-plaid post this time around (sometimes simple is so much better!):

Item 1: Bauble Bar Arrow Studs:  A little funky, a little edgy- go well with everything.

Item 2: The Looker Denim: I don't need to justify skinnies, do I?

Item 3: Madewell Swedish Hasbeens: The "wear-all-day-and-all-night-all-season-long" shoes.

Item 4: Merona Stripe Sweater: I'm a full blown stripe hoarder, and adding a basic layering piece like this for under $20? Sold.

Item 5: ASOS Johnstons Tartan Scarf: Clearly in a post about plaid I couldn't leave this guy out. Love the pop of aqua/teal giving a classic pattern a new look!
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Happy weekend everyone!
Anyone else in the Midwest excited it's finally getting a little bit chilly out?!

xo, lp

AN ETSY SHOP TO LOVE

Do you pretty people follow me on Instagram?

If so, you already saw this picture a few weeks back of an awesome WI print:

That guy is from an awesome Etsy shop called B&A Prints.

I am on Etsy way too much for my own good, and whenever I find a good shop I have to share...as you may remember from this post...or this one !

I found B&A Prints when I was looking for some new state art to add to the apartment, and I couldn't  help but share their awesome prints (and kind of amazing prices). How much, you ask? For an awesome state print like my WI one- it's only $12.50. YEAH. $12.50. What's even better is you can get them in any color:

Oh, and these "eye chart" prints? $9.50. Please tell me where else you can find quirky fun prints for a price like that!

 When I contacted Ben and Ashley to tell them how kick butt their shop was (and to ask permission to use photos from their shop in a feature post) they sent me that WI print. What was even sweeter was they altered the print to have the town I currently live in included! Without me even asking! 

SO. If you're looking for a lovely holiday gift for someone, check out B&A Prints. I can promise Ben & Ashley are insanely nice, and the quality of the prints they make is top notch.

 (AND $12.50? COME ON. You can get one of these for everyone you dang know and still be under budget!) 

Some fun ideas:

* Art from whatever state you went to college in for college/sorority friends

* Gift for your significant other of state where you met/live

* A print of a state of where you're from for your parents/siblings

Find B&A Prints....

On Etsy HERE

On Facebook HERE

On Twitter HERE

Have anyone on your list that would love one of these prints?

Which one would you get them? I'm loving the "eye chart" ones!

xo, lp

*** all photos are from B&A Prints on Etsy ***

pssssssst: NO, B&A prints did not ask me to write this post. I contacted them telling them I was going to feature them, asked permission for photos, and went on my merry way. They were nice enough to send me a print just because. Yeah. Not every day you meet shopowners that nice!