Best Dressed Emmy's 2012

The best part about the Emmy's this year was all the color in the dresses! Finally some interesting pieces come across the red carpet. This is the most fun I've had putting together a post about red carpet fashion. I hope you enjoy the photos as much as I did.

 Ginnifer Goodwin, in Monique Lhuillier, with a Salvatore Ferragamo clutch, Christian Louboutin shoes, and jewelry by Rona Pfeiffer and Graziela.

I adore this dress. Everything from the color combination (orange and...what IS that color?) to the intricate details, to the belt, to the matching shoes. I love that it is short in front to make it easier to walk in. She looks comfortable and gorgesous.

 Hayden Panettiere, in Marchesa, with a Leiber clutch.

This picture doesn't do Hayden's dress justice. But she looked fabulous on television. The gold layer beneath sparkled while she was on stage. There is also a lot more texture than what this photo illustrates. I thought it was an interesting design and she looked fantastic in it.

 

 Edie Falco, in Stella McCartney.

This is a perfect example of dresses being simple and still gorgeous. Most of the dresses I've chosen are a bit more "fussy" but this one is perfectly designed and Edie has the perfect body for it. When she was on the red carpet she really stood out in this simple, beautiful gown.

 

 January Jones, in Zac Posen, with Christian Louboutin shoes.

I love a good little black dress. And this one is amazing. I'm a big fan of dresses that are a bit shorter in the front, it instantly makes the dress more "wearable." But it is the intricate detail and THAT TRAIN that makes this piece a showstopper.

 

 Jessica Lange, in J. Mendel, with a Jimmy Choo clutch.

I'm not really sure what it is about this dress that makes me swoon. Perhaps the vibrant color, or the simplicity, or the nod to the 70s. Whatever it is, it comes together beautifully on Jessica. I also think the sunglasses work with this dress. She just looks so effortlessly chic.
 

 Julianne Moore, in Dior Couture, with Fred Leighton jewels.

I haven't read any other critiques of fashion at the Emmy's this year, but I have a feeling this dress was controversial. I bet you love it or hate it. I'm loving it. I think the color works perfectly with her hair, I think it is sexy but conservative. I think she accessorized it well (i.e. minimalistic.)

 

 Allison Williams, in Oscar de la Renta, with Fred Leighton jewels.

Again, I love the variety of color this year! And this dress is no exception. The deep emerald color is perfect for her skin tone. I love the silhouette with the little peplum. I even kind of like that the dress is a bit long and "pools" around her feet. I would never wear this gown, I would hate to have to mess with that length, but it looks fantastic on Allison.

 

 Emilia Clarke, in Chanel, with Chanel jewels.

My hands down favorite dress of the evening. I've been staring at this gown and admiring it for longer than I'd like to admit. It looks comfortable, it has an interesting silhouette, the colors are bold and vibrant. I adore everything about this dress. But my favorite part is the slit in front and a peek of color and design beneath. This is the dress I would have chosen to wear had I been invited to the Emmy's.

 

 Zooey Deschanel, in Reem Acra, with Forevermark jewels.

This is another dress that isn't well photographed. But when she was on stage, the dress moved like a cloud, it was really something. I think the color is great for her, but it is the movement of the dress that really sold me.

 

 Keith Urban, in Prada, with Nicole Kidman, in Antonio Berardi, with Fred Leighton jewels and Christian Louboutin shoes.

This is a strange choice, I admit. But there is something about that design that really speaks to me. For one, I think it is, if nothing else, INTERESTING. Dresses on the red carpet have been so...safe...lately. I'm just thrilled to see some truly unique designs. I absolutely hate her shoes.

 

Julianne Hough, in Georges Hobeika, with a Leiber clutch, with Ryan Seacrest, in Burberry.

 

When does Julianne Hough NOT look amazing? But besides her beauty, her perfectly styled hair, and her great date, this dress is drop-dead gorgeous. I love the detail around the hem, I really want to reach out and touch it! The small details make this otherwise boring gown, a winner.

 

Photos are from Style.com

Harvest Wine Festival

Oliver Winery is celebrating their 40th Anniversary this year and the residents of Bloomington get to celebrate with them all year long! We went to another festivity at the Creekbend vineyards when my Dad was in town, this time Eric and I attended the Harvest Wine Festival at the Oliver grounds.

 

The Festival was complete with food tastings, food trucks, wine tastings, wine tours, bands, and a photobooth. We started out at the food trucks where we ordered lunch from a BBQ truck run by teachers. They run this truck on the weekends complete with a huge smoker! I loved that we were supporting this great hobby for teachers. I can imagine some of my Dad's friends and teachers doing something cool like that.

There were also food tastings. We tried some of the new Inga's popcorn (we especially like the Snickerdoodle popcorn!), Smoking Goose Pate (some of the best pate I've ever had!), some chocolate sauce spiced with chilis, and more. I love tasting all the great local food Indiana has to offer.

But the best thing we had was Goat Cheese Ice Cream from The Chocolate Moose. This ice cream was debuted at the event on Creekbend vineyards, also hosted by Oliver Winery. They made it again for this special occasion. It has quickly become our favorite ice cream, hands down.

They had some lovely pumpkins and squash available for purchase. But Eric and I decided to wait until October, when we can pick our own pumpkins off the vine. We did it last year with my parents and it was a great time! IT was hard to leave these beautiful acorn squash behind. Aren't they lovely?

We also went on a tour of Oliver Winery. We got to taste grape juice and wine with the yeast still in it. This is my "that's interesting" face. I wasn't sold on the wine with the yeast. I'm glad they take it out before they sell me the bottle. :)

 

At the end of the tour we were able to see the bottling line. This is usually closed to the public, but they had it open for this special event. 

Overall we had a wonderful time hanging out at Oliver Winery this Saturday morning. I can't imagine a better way to spend our beautiful fall weekend!

 

Apples Galore: Easiest Applesauce Ever

We still have a TON of apples left, so we're cooking apple dishes all week long! After our super-delicious Turkey Apple Sausage, we made a simple side dish of applesauce. I found this great recipe from Eating Well and added my own little twist. This recipe has only 77 calories, less if you leave out the brown sugar like we did!

Ingredients:

4 apples, peeled and chopped (preferably apples you picked yourself!)

A pinch (or more) of...Pumpkin Spice! This is my little twist!

You can add 1 tablespoon of brown sugar, but we left it out to keep it a healthier dish.

Preparation:

Place apple pieces in a microwaveable bowl. Cover and microwave until softened, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a food processor. Add pumpkin spice, to taste, and puree until desired consistency. We like our homemade apple sauce to have a few apple chunks.

Finally:

Serve with a meal or enjoy as a snack!

Apples Galore: Turkey Apple Sausage Recipe

Remember last weekend when Eric and I went Apple Picking? I bet you're wondering what two people could do with all those apples. We brought home about a peck and half of apples. That is quite a bit of apples for just two people! Well, to answer your question. We've been incorporating apples into just about every meal. The meal I want to share with you today was Turkey Apple Sausage that Eric made. Holy cow, it was delicious. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

The best part is that they are diet friendly at only 112 calories per patty. You can't beat that!

This recipe is adopted from one we found on Eating Well.

INGREDIENTS 

2 teaspoons canola oil 

1 small onion, diced 

1 medium sweet apple, we used Gala, peeled and diced (preferably apples you've picked yourself!)

1 pound ground turkey 

1 1/2 tablespoons Sunny Paris spices (from Penzey's Spices)

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 tablespoon packed light brown sugar 

3/4 teaspoon garlic salt 

PREPARATION 

1. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring, until beginning to soften, about 2 minutes. 

2. Add apples and cook, stirring, 2 more minutes. Transfer to a large bowl and cool for 5 minutes. Wipe out the pan. Add turkey, spices, sugar, salt and pepper to the bowl with the apples and onions. Gently mix to combine. 

3. Generously coat the pan with cooking spray and heat over medium. Using a 1/3-cup measure, scoop four portions of the sausage mixture into pan, flattening each into a 3-inch patty. Cook until the patties are browned and cooked through, about 3 minutes per side, adjusting the heat as necessary to prevent burning. Coat the pan with cooking spray again and repeat with remaining sausage mixture.

FINALLY

Enjoy!

It Feels Like Fall 2012: I Spy a Deer!

One of my favorite parts about Bloomington are the many deer that are everywhere! We see them crossing the roads, hanging out in front yards, and some even laying in our back yard!

Eric took this fabulous photo of a deer that Huxley spotted. Huxley LOVES barking at deer in our backyard, among other things...

But isn't this deer gorgeous? I love it!

If I Could Redecorate My Home

Sometimes when Eric and I are thinking about our future we like to dream of ways we'd improve our home. You know, when we have two incomes for the first time during our marriage, we might have the opportunity to redecorate! So here are a few things I've tagged as items I would like for our future home. All of these items are from Crate and Barrel! 

A new coffee table. This one is concrete which is totally Eric's style. I'm coming around to his industrial tastes.

In our dream home, we have hard wood floors. So this rug would be perfect in our living room.

I can't decide between this sofa and the next one. Which one do you like best?

I still can't decide! They both have a modern touch but slightly different.

These dining room chairs would be a great replacement for our tan chairs. I love their modern look.

We got our media center second hand and it was originally from Target. This would be a huge improvement.

It Feels Like Fall 2012: Pumpkintinis!

 

We recently discovered this absolutely amazing recipe for Pumpkin Martinis from Brit + Co.

What says "Fall" more than pumpkins?! I can't wait until October when I can go pumpkin shopping! Until then, these Pumpkintinis will have to do.

Ingredients:

- 2 shots Vanilla or Whipped Cream vodka- 1 shot Kahlua (or other coffee flavored liquor)- 3 Tablespoons pumpkin puree- 1/2 cup of milk- honey- crushed graham crackers (food processor works best!)- ice- pinch pumpkin pie spice- cinnamon stick (for garnish)

(We didn't garnish our martinis to save money, so we left off the honey, graham crackers, and cinnamon sticks. We also prefer the Whipped Cream vodka over the Vanilla vodka.)

Directions:

If you wish, prepare glasses by rimming the glass with honey and dipping in crushed graham crackers. 

1. Mix the pumpkin puree and milk in a shaker until frothy like a latte

2. Add whipped cream vodka, Kahlua, and ice. Shake vigorously.

3. Pour into martini glasses and garnish with pumpkin pie spice

4. Add cinnamon stick, if desired

Finally, ENJOY! These are so delicious and perfect for Fall!

 

It Feels Like Fall 2012: Tailgating!

The thing I miss most about living in Missouri are the Mizzou football games and tailgates! Eric and I were lucky enough to get back to Columbia for the first SEC game, Mizzou vs. Alabama. The best part was tailgating all morning and seeing friends and family for the first time in months. We were able to visit with my parents, Eric's parents, Eric's brother and a few of his friends, my friends from grad school: Laura and Jessica, and the biggest surprise was seeing my old friend Regan! We were sorry that Mizzou lost but we still had a wonderful time. 

And the weather was perfection: a crisp fall day!

It Feels Like Fall 2012: Apple Picking!

Eric and I drove all the way to Danville to go apple picking at the Beasley's. It was about an hour and half drive from Bloomington. But due to a freeze, they weren't allowing the general public to pick apples. I was totally bummed! But we got a hint that Anderson Orchard in Mooresville, IN. We couldn't have gotten any luckier! They had lots of apples available for picking, the orchard was swarming with families, and we had the time of our lives! Apple picking was far more fun than I could have imagined!