Hope everyone is enjoying their weekend!
November 21, 2010
New URL
I have officially change my URL from my first and last name to my blog name! If you have my "grab button" on your page, please delete it and put the new link up! Let me know when you do and I will happily put your link up on my page as well!
Hope everyone is enjoying their weekend!
Hope everyone is enjoying their weekend!
November 10, 2010
Guest Blogger: Megan from Honey we're home
Hi there! I’m Megan and I’m so excited to be here visiting from my little corner of Blogland. I am honored to be among those lucky few who get to be guest posting for Lisa while she’s taking a little much needed break to be with her family.
I thought it would be nice to give Lisa a little “virtual” gift bag of goodies to help her relax and celebrate the arrival of her little one. Here’s my gift to you girl!
*A Massage* Massages should come free of charge to new moms after each delivery. And they should be given by an incredibly handsome young man:)
*Starbuck’s* After foregoing coffee for the sake of a healthy babe, a big ole Venti mocha is in order.
*Cushy Robe* Comfort is key during this time, so put on something super soft and cozy for those days spent snuggling with that little bundle of joy.
*Flowers* And the really simple, beautiful kind. Pure, like a baby.
*Makeup* We all know how much Lisa loves makeup and she’s probably going to be taking a gazillion pictures, so how about some new Dior eyeshadow.
*Birthstone Necklace* Since having my own son, I’m quite sentimental about babies and the blessings that they are to us. Lisa, enjoy your precious little one!!
Thanks for having me over! See you when you get back:)
I thought it would be nice to give Lisa a little “virtual” gift bag of goodies to help her relax and celebrate the arrival of her little one. Here’s my gift to you girl!
*A Massage* Massages should come free of charge to new moms after each delivery. And they should be given by an incredibly handsome young man:)
*Starbuck’s* After foregoing coffee for the sake of a healthy babe, a big ole Venti mocha is in order.
*Cushy Robe* Comfort is key during this time, so put on something super soft and cozy for those days spent snuggling with that little bundle of joy.
*Flowers* And the really simple, beautiful kind. Pure, like a baby.
*Makeup* We all know how much Lisa loves makeup and she’s probably going to be taking a gazillion pictures, so how about some new Dior eyeshadow.
*Birthstone Necklace* Since having my own son, I’m quite sentimental about babies and the blessings that they are to us. Lisa, enjoy your precious little one!!
Thanks for having me over! See you when you get back:)
November 9, 2010
Guest Blogger: Kaitlyn Fergus (my sister-in-law)
Because I am the daughter of one of the best dessert-makers I know, I guess you could say baking is in my genes, but it was only recently that I developed an obsession with all things sweet… more specifically: cupcakes. I know I’m a little late the party on this trend, but the way I see it, savory round frosted treats like these can never go out of style and the creative decorating possibilities are endless. I recently stocked up on a crazy amount of cupcake baking supplies (I kid you not, I don’t think there is anything left at Wilton’s!) and plan to bake up a storm during the holidays. I couldn’t wait to test out all of my new tools, so this weekend, I baked yellow cupcakes from scratch with white butter cream frosting and decorated them with all kinds of girly-cuteness in honor of my niece! Here is the cupcake recipe which is from one of my favorite cook books, “The Art and Soul of Baking.”
Ingredients:
1 ½ sticks of unsalted butter, softened
¾ cup sugar
3 large eggs
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups sifted cake flour
¾ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup sour cream
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and position an oven rack in the center. Lightly coat the pan with melted butter, oil, or high-heat canola-oil spray and fit it with a round of parchment paper.
2. Cream the butter with the sugar: Place the butter and sugar in the bowl of the stand mixer and beat on medium until very light—almost white—in color, 4 to 5 minutes. You can also use a hand mixer and a medium bowl, although you may need to beat the mixture a little longer to achieve the same results. Scrape down the bowl with the spatula.
3. Add the eggs: Beat the eggs and vanilla in the small bowl to blend. With the mixer on medium, add the eggs to the butter mixture about 1 tablespoon at a time, allowing each addition to completely blend in before adding the next. About halfway through, turn off the mixer and scrape down the bowl, then resume adding the eggs. Scrape down the bowl again.
4. Add the dry and wet ingredients alternately: With the fine-mesh strainer, sift the cake flour, baking soda, and salt into the medium bowl and whisk together. With the mixer on the lowest speed, add the flour mixture and the sour cream alternately, beginning with one-third of the flour mixture and half the sour cream; repeat, then finish with flour mixture. Scrape down the bowl and finish blending the batter by hand, if necessary. Bake the yellow or white batter in a standard-size muffin tin lined with paper cupcake liners, filling each cup to ¼ inch from the top of the liner. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until firm to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
I did use a butter cream mix for the frosting (due to the chaos that was this Halloween weekend!) I then sprayed half of them with pink color mist and dusted those with silver baking dust. For the other half of the batch, I decorated them with pink and yellow sugar flowers, perfect for the pretty little girl we all can’t wait to meet. My favorite part of this process? Licking the batter from the bowl, same as my greedy dog ;) Enjoy!
Ingredients:
1 ½ sticks of unsalted butter, softened
¾ cup sugar
3 large eggs
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups sifted cake flour
¾ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup sour cream
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and position an oven rack in the center. Lightly coat the pan with melted butter, oil, or high-heat canola-oil spray and fit it with a round of parchment paper.
2. Cream the butter with the sugar: Place the butter and sugar in the bowl of the stand mixer and beat on medium until very light—almost white—in color, 4 to 5 minutes. You can also use a hand mixer and a medium bowl, although you may need to beat the mixture a little longer to achieve the same results. Scrape down the bowl with the spatula.
3. Add the eggs: Beat the eggs and vanilla in the small bowl to blend. With the mixer on medium, add the eggs to the butter mixture about 1 tablespoon at a time, allowing each addition to completely blend in before adding the next. About halfway through, turn off the mixer and scrape down the bowl, then resume adding the eggs. Scrape down the bowl again.
4. Add the dry and wet ingredients alternately: With the fine-mesh strainer, sift the cake flour, baking soda, and salt into the medium bowl and whisk together. With the mixer on the lowest speed, add the flour mixture and the sour cream alternately, beginning with one-third of the flour mixture and half the sour cream; repeat, then finish with flour mixture. Scrape down the bowl and finish blending the batter by hand, if necessary. Bake the yellow or white batter in a standard-size muffin tin lined with paper cupcake liners, filling each cup to ¼ inch from the top of the liner. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until firm to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
I did use a butter cream mix for the frosting (due to the chaos that was this Halloween weekend!) I then sprayed half of them with pink color mist and dusted those with silver baking dust. For the other half of the batch, I decorated them with pink and yellow sugar flowers, perfect for the pretty little girl we all can’t wait to meet. My favorite part of this process? Licking the batter from the bowl, same as my greedy dog ;) Enjoy!
November 8, 2010
Guest Blogger: Tiffany from Fashion Ammo
Secret Weapon: Stilettos and Diaper Bags Edition
Hello my fellow fashionistas! My name is Tiffany, author of Fashion Ammo and serious fan of Stilettos and Diaper Bags. As you may imagine, I was thrilled and honored when Lisa asked me to guest blog for her while she has her baby girl (ah, so excited!). For today's post, I wanted to bring to you a secret weapon of mine, S&DB style.
Today's secret weapon focuses on minimizing the waistline, something I think all women, mothers or not, can definitely appreciate. These things are simple, easy to execute, and definitely worth it to create that small, hour-glass figure we all covet.
Empire waist dresses. Simple in silhouette, do so much for your waist. It seriously sucks you in at your tiniest and is very flattering. I was thrilled when I found this dress on sale at Anthropologie as I've been eying it for awhile. Seen here back in July.
Tights. Sucks everything in: legs, waist, hips, butt, and some of them can even be stretched up to your bustline!
Stilettos. Always flattering and make you appear thinner. I don't know why, but they just do.
Creating lines. Mine, done with a longer cardigan here, creates long lines, which make you appear longer. Whether it's in pattern, accessories (long necklaces!), or hemline, this is an easy way to lengthen your body.
Dress: Anthropologie
Cardigan: Urban Outfitters
Tights: Target
Shoes: Charlotte Russe
Necklace: Vintage
Thanks again to Lisa for giving me this opportunity and congratulations to you and Ryan! As I'm sure, she will be yet another fabulous addition to your life, wardrobe (think of all of the cute things she can wear to compliment you!), and of course, your sassy diaper bag paired with stilettos.
Hello my fellow fashionistas! My name is Tiffany, author of Fashion Ammo and serious fan of Stilettos and Diaper Bags. As you may imagine, I was thrilled and honored when Lisa asked me to guest blog for her while she has her baby girl (ah, so excited!). For today's post, I wanted to bring to you a secret weapon of mine, S&DB style.
Today's secret weapon focuses on minimizing the waistline, something I think all women, mothers or not, can definitely appreciate. These things are simple, easy to execute, and definitely worth it to create that small, hour-glass figure we all covet.
Empire waist dresses. Simple in silhouette, do so much for your waist. It seriously sucks you in at your tiniest and is very flattering. I was thrilled when I found this dress on sale at Anthropologie as I've been eying it for awhile. Seen here back in July.
Tights. Sucks everything in: legs, waist, hips, butt, and some of them can even be stretched up to your bustline!
Stilettos. Always flattering and make you appear thinner. I don't know why, but they just do.
Creating lines. Mine, done with a longer cardigan here, creates long lines, which make you appear longer. Whether it's in pattern, accessories (long necklaces!), or hemline, this is an easy way to lengthen your body.
Dress: Anthropologie
Cardigan: Urban Outfitters
Tights: Target
Shoes: Charlotte Russe
Necklace: Vintage
Thanks again to Lisa for giving me this opportunity and congratulations to you and Ryan! As I'm sure, she will be yet another fabulous addition to your life, wardrobe (think of all of the cute things she can wear to compliment you!), and of course, your sassy diaper bag paired with stilettos.
November 3, 2010
Guest Blogger: Erica from Acire Adventures
Hello, everyone!
I’m so happy to be here, and so thankful to meet everyone at Stilettos and Diaper Bags. I’m relatively new to Lisa’s blog, but I’ve spent a ton of time over the past couple weeks soaking up all the style (and wishing my pregnancy had been so fashionable).
I’ve been totally inspired by all the beautiful stuff I’ve found here so I want to talk about fashion for late fall and early winter! I love the styles this season because I’ve finally found something that is both flattering (which includes a little concealing) as well as comfortable.
What you need to know about the current styles is this: skinny on the bottom, bulky on top. Does this seem a little counterintuitive? Maybe, but I promise it will grow on you.
For your bottom half, some must haves are:
tights, leggings, skinny jeans/jeggings, leg warmers, and cute boots (step away from the Uggs, ladies)
For you top half, some must haves are:
long tops, loose-fitting tops, belts (wide or thin), long, oversized jackets (the best have BIG buttons), oversized scarves, and maybe even a hat that can hold it’s own amongst all the large items.
I know we don’t all look like H&M models, but these styles are designed to flatter us normal women, too! Plus, there are tons of variations out there right now. You can turn the volume up or down with colours and patterns. I created both of these images using H&M's Fashion Studio, which you can try out for yourself here!
Thanks for having me, Lisa. I hope everything is going wonderful with your new addition!
Erica
Acire Adventures
I’m so happy to be here, and so thankful to meet everyone at Stilettos and Diaper Bags. I’m relatively new to Lisa’s blog, but I’ve spent a ton of time over the past couple weeks soaking up all the style (and wishing my pregnancy had been so fashionable).
I’ve been totally inspired by all the beautiful stuff I’ve found here so I want to talk about fashion for late fall and early winter! I love the styles this season because I’ve finally found something that is both flattering (which includes a little concealing) as well as comfortable.
What you need to know about the current styles is this: skinny on the bottom, bulky on top. Does this seem a little counterintuitive? Maybe, but I promise it will grow on you.
For your bottom half, some must haves are:
tights, leggings, skinny jeans/jeggings, leg warmers, and cute boots (step away from the Uggs, ladies)
For you top half, some must haves are:
long tops, loose-fitting tops, belts (wide or thin), long, oversized jackets (the best have BIG buttons), oversized scarves, and maybe even a hat that can hold it’s own amongst all the large items.
I know we don’t all look like H&M models, but these styles are designed to flatter us normal women, too! Plus, there are tons of variations out there right now. You can turn the volume up or down with colours and patterns. I created both of these images using H&M's Fashion Studio, which you can try out for yourself here!
Thanks for having me, Lisa. I hope everything is going wonderful with your new addition!
Erica
Acire Adventures
November 1, 2010
Guest Blogger: Alicia from Shaken Not Blurred
Can you believe that the Christmas and Holiday season is almost here? November has just begun and I truly love this time of year. When the leaves change and the weather becomes cooler and crisper! We will soon be getting together with family and friends to celebrate Thanksgiving. I don't know about you, but I really like to have my Christmas shopping completely finished by December 1! That way I can truly enjoy the spirit of the season without stressing over what presents to buy and the crowds at the local mall.
I LOVE jewelry. Real, fake, big or small....I love it all! One present that I am sure every girl would love to recieve is a little bling! So I thought that I would help you out with your holiday shopping and give you some ideas that you can either buy for your sister, mom or friend. Or you could just slip these ideas to your significant other and make shopping easier for them too!
One piece of jewlery that I feel EVERY girl needs is a cocktail ring! A cocktail ring is perfect for parties, and with New Year's Eve right after Christmas, this is a perfect gift idea!
I love this ring! It is even more beautiful in person!
Canary Crystal Ring Judith Ripka $800
I think this is a perfect cocktail ring! It is oversized, cut beautifully, and will go with anything that you are wearing!
Moonshine ring by Swarovki $290
Another cocktail ring that is perfect this time of year. I adore this ring because it has a lot of deep rich winter colors and it is very unique the way it wraps around your finger.
Louie Jet Ring by Swarovki $170
I really like Swarovski because they stand behind their product. If your jewlery should lose a stone, or discolor, they will fix the problem or replace it. Not too many companies do that anymore.
The other staple that all fashionistas must have this year is pearls! You can do so much with pearls. Wear a single strand for a simple elegant look. Or you can layer them up in different sizes and lengths to wear with jeans, skirt, or dress. They are so easy and a lot of fun to play with because you can dress them up or down! Here are some of my favorites!
I about died from excitement when I found these!
Pearl Snowball necklace in Rose Shadow by JCrew $98
The next piece I found is already layered for you!
Glass Pearl/Jet/Fireball Multi Row necklace White House Black Market $48
Of course, you can never go wrong with the classic strand!
Classic strand 6.5-7.0mm Cultured Akoya Strand with 14k clasp $270
Don't forget about your wrist! You always need a little sparkle there!
Classic David Yurman Bracelet
Diamond, Sterling Silver, and 18k Gold 5mm Cable bracelet $675
Cuff Bracelets are really "in" right now! I am in love with this!
Crystal Cluster cuff $88
Rose Gold it really hot right now!
Ipolita 5 Stone Rose Gold Bracelet $495
I hope these ideas really help you and you have fun shopping!! I know that whatever "bling" you choose, your loved one will adore it!
Shaken Not Blurred
I LOVE jewelry. Real, fake, big or small....I love it all! One present that I am sure every girl would love to recieve is a little bling! So I thought that I would help you out with your holiday shopping and give you some ideas that you can either buy for your sister, mom or friend. Or you could just slip these ideas to your significant other and make shopping easier for them too!
One piece of jewlery that I feel EVERY girl needs is a cocktail ring! A cocktail ring is perfect for parties, and with New Year's Eve right after Christmas, this is a perfect gift idea!
I love this ring! It is even more beautiful in person!
Canary Crystal Ring Judith Ripka $800
I think this is a perfect cocktail ring! It is oversized, cut beautifully, and will go with anything that you are wearing!
Moonshine ring by Swarovki $290
Another cocktail ring that is perfect this time of year. I adore this ring because it has a lot of deep rich winter colors and it is very unique the way it wraps around your finger.
Louie Jet Ring by Swarovki $170
I really like Swarovski because they stand behind their product. If your jewlery should lose a stone, or discolor, they will fix the problem or replace it. Not too many companies do that anymore.
The other staple that all fashionistas must have this year is pearls! You can do so much with pearls. Wear a single strand for a simple elegant look. Or you can layer them up in different sizes and lengths to wear with jeans, skirt, or dress. They are so easy and a lot of fun to play with because you can dress them up or down! Here are some of my favorites!
I about died from excitement when I found these!
Pearl Snowball necklace in Rose Shadow by JCrew $98
The next piece I found is already layered for you!
Glass Pearl/Jet/Fireball Multi Row necklace White House Black Market $48
Of course, you can never go wrong with the classic strand!
Classic strand 6.5-7.0mm Cultured Akoya Strand with 14k clasp $270
Don't forget about your wrist! You always need a little sparkle there!
Classic David Yurman Bracelet
Diamond, Sterling Silver, and 18k Gold 5mm Cable bracelet $675
Cuff Bracelets are really "in" right now! I am in love with this!
Crystal Cluster cuff $88
Rose Gold it really hot right now!
Ipolita 5 Stone Rose Gold Bracelet $495
I hope these ideas really help you and you have fun shopping!! I know that whatever "bling" you choose, your loved one will adore it!
Shaken Not Blurred
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