lillyella: January 2011

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Couture du Jour

Contemporarian Dress Anthropologie $128

Goldstone Earrings littlebugjewelry $32

Monday, January 24, 2011

Happy Monday, all! Are we ready for a new week?

Coming up here in the weeks ahead my Spotlight interview series will return and I have a fun Crafting post I'm finishing up on how to crochet cute ruffles for your knee socks, so stay tuned!

In the meantime, here is a little collection of things I am lusting, swooning and/or drooling over at the current moment…

Print by amberalexander

Hand-Cut Gumdrops by fahrenheit

Bustle Collar by fringe

Brooch by ThatOldBlueHouse2

Skirt from Anthropologie

Tights from Urban Outfitters

Handbag by cayennepeppybags

Shoes from Urban Outfitters

Sweater from Urban Outfitters

Earrings by DailyDose

Dress from Anthropologie

Belt by littlewingsdesigns

Throw Pillow by utilitarianfranchise

Vintage Letter from VintageEmbellishment

Shoes from Anthropologie

Print by ckuhwald

Ring by ThisYearsGirl

Dress from ModCloth

Leather Rose Wrap by ManoBello

Necklace by ThePeachTree

Ring from beadycats

Shoes from Anthropologie

Vintage Pyrex from TheFancyLamb

Earrings by potteryandtile

Lip Tint from orangethyme

Shoes by All Black

Friday, January 21, 2011

Weekend Sale!

Happy Friday, everyone! I'll be adding some fun, new items to my Etsy shop next week so I'm having a weekend sale on all existing pieces from now through Sunday night.

Enter code HAPPYWEEKEND at checkout to save 15% off any order in my shop!

Etsy has recently added a coupon code feature to their checkout process that allows you to enter a supplied code and receive an instant discount at checkout before paying for your item. This is a fabulous new feature compared to the do-it-yourself refunds or listing adjustments of before.

As always, feel free to contact me anytime via email or through my shop with questions. Thanks so much for all your support and enjoy the weekend ahead!

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Couture du Jour

Lilac Whisper Belted Dress Ruche $48

Grand Estate Earrings lepetitruban $32

Leather Clutch DavieandChiyo $115

She Bows What She Wants Heel ModCloth $139

Todays ensemble was created by Christina of Coffee and Cream ~

Monday, January 17, 2011

In the Kitchen: Meat & Mushrooms

With my parents move into my house came many things — two more bodies, two more cats, a lot more stuff and a new presence in the kitchen. While I mostly handle the household chores (cooking, cleaning, laundry, etc), my mom does make an occasional dinner. It's usually a "childhood favorite", a meal I grew up on but just never bothered to make myself. Today, I bring you one such meal, one we creatively call Meat & Mushrooms.

If you are a regular follower of my recipe posts, you may have caught on that I am not a beef eater. There are two occasions when I eat it, and this is one. This meal is the epitome of simple, hearty goodness. Beef, onions, mushrooms — that's about it. It feels like it was transported from my grandma's kitchen in 1960 and dropped onto my counter.

Ingredients

1.5 – 2 lbs boneless top round beef steak

1 large onion, sliced

8 – 12 beef bouillon cubes

12 oz mushrooms, sliced

Flour

Water

Pepper to taste

In an electric skillet (we swear by a 30 year old Lifetime brand one), place the raw beef, sliced onion, bouillon cubes and one bay leaf (if desired). Add enough water to just cover the meat and simmer, covered, for about 4 – 5 hours or until the meat is cooked to your liking. By the way, don't be scared of the onions if you're usually not a fan. They cook away into nothing but flavor which isn't oniony and gross, but essential and delicious!

Beware, this dish will make your house smell amazing all day, therefore making you really, really hungry and possibly driving your dog (and maybe your husband) crazy.

Once the meat is done, add the mushrooms and continue simmering until the mushrooms reach your desired tenderness.

When the mushrooms are done, remove the meat and thicken the liquid to make a gravy. Mix about 3 Tablespoons flour with 1/2 cup water and add to the pan. Continue adding additional flour/water until the gravy is as thick as you'd like. Add pepper to taste, and salt if you wish, but the bouillon has enough salt to last you a lifetime! This is definitely not for those on a low-sodium diet :)

Add the meat back to the pan to heat up and you're ready to eat!

We prefer to serve this over rice with some veggies, but it's delicious with mashed potatoes, too. The gravy is so good you'll want to keep any leftovers to spoon in your morning coffee, err… well, you get it.

> Click here for a printable recipe card

And find more easy and delicious recipes here.

Friday, January 14, 2011

Hair Candy

Today's post was inspired by two things — my New Years resolution to wear cute hair accessories and the discovery of a new shop (while searching for cute hair accessories) that I instantly fell in love. I shall open with the latter…

Sleep has never come easy in this household. Now with my parents here and the situation of my Dad's care, it's only become harder. We have no normal schedule, no night, no day. We sleep when we can (usually no more than 2 hours at a time) and eat when we are hungry. Since I have the most trouble falling asleep, I find that browsing Etsy on my laptop until I just can't keep my eyes open any longer usually helps. It was during one of these sessions that I stumbled across Leather Blossoms.

I have to say there isn't a piece in this shop that I don't love. The colors, the shapes, the beautiful combinations, I could drop 500 bucks in a heartbeat. I was excited to see Ohio as the shop location so I sent a message asking what city and found out that Julia is a mere 30 minutes across town from me. What are the chances?!

I ordered one of these cute floral bobby pins and am expecting to receive it in the mail today, I can't wait! I'm sure I will love it and want one in every color. I also really love these floral barrettes and every single one of her headbands. I love that some styles lend themselves more for everyday wear while she also offers some fancier pieces that would be beautiful for special occasions.

If hair accessories aren't your thing, she also creates rings, necklaces, adorable clutches and more, and from the conversation I had with her, it seems she can customize many of her designs in different colors.