C & C in the Kitchen: Belly Buttons

At Thanksgiving I was introduced to Belly Buttons. No, not the odd body part (I'm not a fan), these little amuse bouches of deliciousness. And, to top it off, they're crazy easy to make and the perfect treat to wrap up and give to teachers, colleagues, babysitters, friends, hostesses, neighbors…you name it. 

Belly Buttons:

Ingredients:

Square or round pretzels (Synder's of Hanover calls them Snaps)

Bag of Hersey's Kisses of your choice (I used half peppermint and half regular)

Bag of regular M & Ms (I used dark chocolate)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 250.

Line up all the pretzels on a cookie sheet. 

Place one kiss in the middle of each pretzel (the unwrapping is the prefect job for a child or your +1 - Dr. by was my assistant). 

Place in the oven for 4 minutes (or until the kisses are at the very beginning of losing their shape and melting)

Take out of the oven, place one M & M on top and push down to spread out across the pretzel.

Place in the refrigerator for 10 minutes to cool. 

Enjoy!  

XO

Katie

Got the Gimmies

In case you are wondering who is the winner of the Merin Designs Ketchum bag...well, you will have to read this post to find out!

I've got a major case of the gimmies (anyone else read the Berenstain Bears Get the Gimmies as a kid?).  And I decided instead of exercising my Amex, hopefully this blog post will do the trick and I'll be cured (unlikely, but one can hope). It's not specific to one area...pretty much runs the gamut.

Holiday decor for Thanksgiving and Christmas...

Turkey Pheasant Wreath

Mark and Graham Preppy Plaid Napkins

Clothes for work...

5th & Mercer Long Sleeve Dress

Zara Top with Detailing on the Shoulder

And of course, for play too...day and night. 

Hunter Original Tall Rain Boot

J. Crew Buffalo Check Shirt-Jacket

Trina Turk Edda Jumpsuit

If I had to just buy one thing, the blue dress might be the one...although the Zara top looks pretty cute.....

Gimmies still present.

Oh, and the winner is.....drumroll please....Dawn Keenan. Congratulations! We will be in touch!

Let Freedom Ring

The Mini Fashionista would like to wish all of our C&C readers a very happy Fourth of July from Sun Valley, Idaho. 

Giddy up Cowgirl! 

Gift Guide: Stocking Stuffers

We're big into stockings in my family. When we were kids, we were allowed to open our stockings before our parents got out of bed, so you can imagine how popular they were (okay, and still are). Now that we contribute to the stuffing (it's not fair for my mom to do her own), I'm much more attune to what might make the perfect start to Christmas morning. Here are a few ideas.

Is your brother or sister known to get all their best ideas in the shower? Enter Aqua Notes!

For the germaphobe with sparkly whites, the Bobble Brush Toothbrush Stand is the answer. 

These spoke lights are perfect for the cycling enthusiast in your life. 

Got boots? You probably need Boot Sticks. 

For the nomadic traveler in the family, this "scratch map" will roll up in the stocking and a suitcase. 

For the family that can't keep track of their iPhone chargers, you'll definitely know which one is yours with this Sticker Face Set. 

To send the hint that you need a little more Italian-dining romance in your life, this set of twelve wine cork candles might do the trick. 

And, if all else fails, go with old reliable (and my personal favorite), a Starbucks gift card. 

And if none of these strike your fancy, don't forget about this personalized chocolate that Regan blogged about earlier this year. Happy stocking stuffing! 

Products We Love: The Magnolia Company

I know it isn't even Thanksgiving yet, but I can't help myself. I LOVE decorating for Christmas. I recently stumbled upon The Magnolia Company through One King's Lane. Based in Barberville, Florida, this family-owned company makes the most beautiful magnolia wreaths and decorations. With our dark green front door, I knew this red lacquer magnolia stunner had to be mine. I can't wait to hang it in just a few weeks. 

But wait, there's more. They come in a variation of sizes and colors - 13 to be exact! I'm contemplating the silver or gold for over the mantle in our living room. 

And can someone please decorate with this incredible turquoise?!

If you're not yet in the holiday spirit, this colorful display of turkey and pheasant feathers is definitely a statement piece and another one of my favorites from their collection. 

With beautiful decorative items for year round, I'm telling you, don't miss out on a turn around their website. You won't be sorry (I can't speak for your pocket book...).

C&C in the Kitchen

So, did any of you make the healthy cookies that I posted a few weeks ago? If not, you have been missing out. For those of you that have made them... chances are that you have made them again. They are that easy and that good!

Today I am going to offer you a "holiday" spin on the C&C Healthy Cookies….how about making them into "pumpkin healthy cookies"? Now doesn't that sound tasty??? It took me three batches last week to come up with the perfect recipe. 

It's really simple. All you need (in addition to the previous ingredients) are pumpkin puree and spice!

C&C Healthy "Pumpkin" Cookies

1 large, ripe banana, well mashed

1 Cup pumpkin puree

1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 Tbs agave (honey or maple syrup also work)

1/4 cup coconut oil, barely warm - so it isn't solid

2 cups rolled oats

2/3 cup almond meal

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1-2 Tbs pumpkin spice (depending on how much pumpkin flavor you like)

1/2 cup chocolate chips

2 Tbs chia seeds

2 Tbs flax seeds

You can also substitute the chocolate chips for walnuts and cranberries and make them even more seasonal. If you do this, I also suggest adding 1 Tbs of maple syrup instead of agave. 

Directions:

- Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees

- Mash bananas and mix with vanilla coconut oil, agave and pumpkin puree

- Add oats, almond meal, cinnamon, pumpkin spice salt and baking powder. Mix until fully incorporated.

- Add chocolate chips, chia and flax seeds and mix on low.

Bake on a non-stick cookie sheet or Silpat liner for 13-14 minutes! And you get these Delicious and healthy holiday treats!

Holiday Hotness

Lauren Conrad posted this dress on pinterest (here) last week, and I couldn't help but think how fantastic this would be for New Year's Eve. It sort of looks like the model forgot her pants, but I'm sure she's at least 5'9 or 5'10 so I think it would look more dress (and less shirt) like on me! 

Best thing about this dress...the totally ridiculous price of only $46.50!

Vacation Recap

We've been in Sun Valley for nearly a week now and, as always, the time is flying by. Here is a quick photo recap of our visit thus far.

No trip is complete without at least one trip to Java for a Bowl of Soul and a muffin!  

On our hike to Norton Lakes I had to practice a little barre3!

On the 3rd we went to the Sawtooth Stampede, a.k.a rodeo. 

The Mini Fashionista was styling in her cowgirl hat! 

My +1 is convinced that next year the Mini Fashionista should try mutton busting! I think not!

The Mini showed her patriotism with this fabulous little dress from her Tutu (grandmother in Hawaiian). I like to call her little lady liberty! 

The local fountain was festively colored for the Fourth. I'm not so sure that it was meant for drinking though.

Happy weekend!

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy 4th of July

This is a men's shoe, but how cute would these be with a pair of Bermudas and a fun Summer top! Just size down...

Cole Haan Air Grant Penny

Happy Easter

As a kid I looked forward to Easter for many reasons: an Easter basket with candy, the egg hunt, brunch, and most importantly an Easter Dress and party shoes. I especially loved the white patent Mary Jane's that always ended up with awful black scuffs on them!

Well, I won't be attending an Easter brunch this year and have no need for an Easter dress, but if I did, here would be a few candidates! All of which would look fabulous with my Kate Spade nude patent heels.

1. Tucker 2. DVF 3. Pencey from Shopbop

Cardi Wednesday

My love for Tory Burch cardigans is nothing new, and I would love to have this Gabelle Cardigan for holiday parties.

Glitter And Shine

This sequin jacket from Dakota Collective would be fabulous with a pair of skinny jeans or paired with a sassy skirt and blouse for a New Year's celebration.

AO3 Designs

It's the holiday season which means parties, parties, and more parties. These clutches from AO3 Designs are perfect for an evening out on the town.

Happy Halloween

If I were dressing up for Halloween tomorrow, I would be going as Anna Wintour. All I would need is a pageboy bob haircut, some dark Chanel Sunglasses, a fur coat, a classic shift dress, and a Crystal necklace....oh, and the icy attitude!


images via

(And yes, I know that's not really Anna)

Happy 4th of July

Happy 4th of July! I am on vacation enjoying the mountain air in Sun Valley! I'll be back next week with more Cardigans and Couture.
Here's a set I created on Polyvore just for the 4th of July Holiday!

Red White and Blue by speedy30 featuring J Crew