Sunday, June 28, 2015
Saturday, June 20, 2015
Summer Party Dress Up Ideas
This is a sponsored post.
Internet Marketing forums often host threads about the best items to sell online; and costumes have been one of their top choices.
Not surprising, because costumes are unique, fun, and unavailable at your local Target until October. I'm not in the costume niche but probably should be. Hmm, maybe in a few years. Meanwhile, I'll enjoy sifting through costumes at online retailers like today's sponsor, Smiffys.
About Smiffys
Since 1894, Smiffys has been one of the leading Halloween and Carnival costume manufacturers in the UK, focusing on excellence in customer service, products and design. This very mission conveys through its website's simple categorization--and therefore easy navigation--of a vast product line with funky and creative style.
Now that summer has officially arrived, this old "girlie" feels like socializing a bit, and a costume-night-out sounds like fun.
Maybe my donning neon wigs and go-go boots will give our suburban neighborhood's Microsoft- and Amazon-wives something to talk about. Just kidding.
Alright. Here are some good choices from Smitty's:
1. Party Poncho
Never heard of party poncho before but what a cool idea! It's cute, stylish and different. Plus, its water-resistant material keeps you dry.
2. 90's Union Jack Dress
This dress reminds me of the Spice Girls--oh how the entire sorority idolized Posh Spice!--and makes me want to crank up Wannabe and dance all night.
Internet Marketing forums often host threads about the best items to sell online; and costumes have been one of their top choices.
Not surprising, because costumes are unique, fun, and unavailable at your local Target until October. I'm not in the costume niche but probably should be. Hmm, maybe in a few years. Meanwhile, I'll enjoy sifting through costumes at online retailers like today's sponsor, Smiffys.
About Smiffys
Since 1894, Smiffys has been one of the leading Halloween and Carnival costume manufacturers in the UK, focusing on excellence in customer service, products and design. This very mission conveys through its website's simple categorization--and therefore easy navigation--of a vast product line with funky and creative style.
Now that summer has officially arrived, this old "girlie" feels like socializing a bit, and a costume-night-out sounds like fun.
Maybe my donning neon wigs and go-go boots will give our suburban neighborhood's Microsoft- and Amazon-wives something to talk about. Just kidding.
Alright. Here are some good choices from Smitty's:
1. Party Poncho
Never heard of party poncho before but what a cool idea! It's cute, stylish and different. Plus, its water-resistant material keeps you dry.
This dress reminds me of the Spice Girls--oh how the entire sorority idolized Posh Spice!--and makes me want to crank up Wannabe and dance all night.
3. Hawaiian Party Girl Dress
It would be a shame to end the summer without a Luau, or without wearing a pretty Hawaiian dress (like the one below) at least once.
4. Light Up Sword
Growing up, I wasn't all that girlie, and loved sword-fighting with boy cousins. (I have five.) Smittys also sells novelties and toys; and this light-up sword could bring sword-swinging fun to me and our little daughters, who are, surprisingly, tom-boyish too.
5. Second Skin Crash Dummy Costume
Forget neon wigs and go-go boots! If I wore this, um, thing around, I'd definitely be the talk of the neighborhood.
Thanks again for visiting The Girlie Blog!
Do pay Smittys a visit if you have time. The store has interesting products.
Hope your summer started off with fun and fashion.
Have a wonderful weekend!
Wednesday, June 17, 2015
Soft Chewy Cookies
The Mommy-15
37 is a good age to finally accept 15 pounds of extra weight, don't you think?
In a recent post, I opened up about locking myself in the library with cheap coffee to start a tiny IM operation. Well, what better accomplice to cheap coffee than cheap pastry which, surely, induced the Mommy-15. Then, at home, our daughters Jo and Jax like to bake for fun. So we bake, and eat, and bake, and eat...
Alright. Life has finally caught up, and granted me the Mommy-15.
It's like the Freshman-15, except you keep it--FOREVER!
Whatever little fashion this blog had is pretty much gone.
And now you know why: can't fit into old clothes! Oh well. Before buying bigger sizes and attempting to look fashionable, how about recipes for the soft and chewy cookies our daughters and I made? They may not be clean, but they taste good.
1. Soft Butter Cookies with Sugar Frosting
Ingredients
For Cookie:
- 1 cup of unsalted butter, softened
- 3⁄4 cups of granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- 1⁄2 tsp vanilla extract
- 21⁄2 cups of all purpose flour
- 1 tsp of baking powder
- 1⁄4 tsp of sea salt
For Frosting:
- 1⁄2 cup of butter, softened
- 21/2 cups of confection's sugar
- 1 tsp of real vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp of milk (optional)
- Food coloring
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375 F.
2. Using an electric mixer, cream together butter and sugar at medium speed, with the paddle beater attachment.
3. Reduce mixer speed to low, add egg and vanilla, and continue to mix until content seems smooth. Turn mixer off for a second.
4. In another mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. Mix ingredients together with a spoon.
5. Turn electric mixer on at medium speed, add flour to creamed mixture a little at a time until flour bowl's empty. Ensure that you mix content well. Content should have the consistency of cookie dough at the end of the process.
6. On a clean counter top, sprinkle a few pinches of flour for rolling. Knead dough for about 30 seconds.
7. Break off a handful of dough and place the rest back in the bowl. Roll dough out with a rolling pin until it is at about 1/4 inch thick.
8. Using cookie cutters, cut cookies from dough, and place on baking sheet.
9. Bake for 8 - 10 minutes, depending on desired softness.
10. Let cool for 10 minutes.
11. While cooling cookies, make frosting by mixing together butter, vanilla and 2 cups of confection's sugar with an electric mixer at medium to high speed.
12. Continue to mix, and slowly add the rest of the sugar.
13. If frosting appears too dry, add few drops of milk -- BUT NOT TOO MUCH!
14. When frosting reaches a thick, creamy, spreadable texture, reduce mixer speed to low and add food coloring.
16. Continue to mix until color appears even.
17. Frost cookies. Top with sprinkles if you want to.
Enjoy!
2. Yummy Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 21/4 cups of all purpose flour
- 2 cups of unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 tsp of baking soda
- 1/2 cup of granulated sugar
- 1 cup of organic brown cane sugar
- 1 tsp of sea salt
- 2 tsp of pure vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs, both at room temperature
- 2 cups of dark chocolate semisweet morsels
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Line cookie sheet with foil or parchment paper.
2. In a mixing bowl, combine flour and baking soda. Mix well and set it aside.
3. Using an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine butter with both types of sugar in mixer's bowl, and beat content on medium speed until it becomes creamy and fluffy.
4. Reduce mixer speed to low. Add eggs, vanilla and sea salt, and beat at low speed for one minute.
5. Slowly pour in flour from step 2, and continue to beat until flour bowl's empty.
5. Keep mixing on low speed and slowly stir in chocolate morsels.
6. Using an ice-cream scooper, spoon dough onto baking sheet. Ensure each scoop's a few inches apart. Slightly press each scoop with fingers to flatten top.
7. Bake for 14 minutes, or until cookies are golden on the outside
8. Remove from oven, and let cool for one minute.
Now, enjoy the sweetness!
37 is a good age to finally accept 15 pounds of extra weight, don't you think?
In a recent post, I opened up about locking myself in the library with cheap coffee to start a tiny IM operation. Well, what better accomplice to cheap coffee than cheap pastry which, surely, induced the Mommy-15. Then, at home, our daughters Jo and Jax like to bake for fun. So we bake, and eat, and bake, and eat...
Alright. Life has finally caught up, and granted me the Mommy-15.
It's like the Freshman-15, except you keep it--FOREVER!
Whatever little fashion this blog had is pretty much gone.
And now you know why: can't fit into old clothes! Oh well. Before buying bigger sizes and attempting to look fashionable, how about recipes for the soft and chewy cookies our daughters and I made? They may not be clean, but they taste good.
1. Soft Butter Cookies with Sugar Frosting
Ingredients
For Cookie:
- 1 cup of unsalted butter, softened
- 3⁄4 cups of granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- 1⁄2 tsp vanilla extract
- 21⁄2 cups of all purpose flour
- 1 tsp of baking powder
- 1⁄4 tsp of sea salt
For Frosting:
- 1⁄2 cup of butter, softened
- 21/2 cups of confection's sugar
- 1 tsp of real vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp of milk (optional)
- Food coloring
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375 F.
2. Using an electric mixer, cream together butter and sugar at medium speed, with the paddle beater attachment.
3. Reduce mixer speed to low, add egg and vanilla, and continue to mix until content seems smooth. Turn mixer off for a second.
4. In another mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. Mix ingredients together with a spoon.
5. Turn electric mixer on at medium speed, add flour to creamed mixture a little at a time until flour bowl's empty. Ensure that you mix content well. Content should have the consistency of cookie dough at the end of the process.
6. On a clean counter top, sprinkle a few pinches of flour for rolling. Knead dough for about 30 seconds.
7. Break off a handful of dough and place the rest back in the bowl. Roll dough out with a rolling pin until it is at about 1/4 inch thick.
8. Using cookie cutters, cut cookies from dough, and place on baking sheet.
9. Bake for 8 - 10 minutes, depending on desired softness.
10. Let cool for 10 minutes.
11. While cooling cookies, make frosting by mixing together butter, vanilla and 2 cups of confection's sugar with an electric mixer at medium to high speed.
12. Continue to mix, and slowly add the rest of the sugar.
13. If frosting appears too dry, add few drops of milk -- BUT NOT TOO MUCH!
14. When frosting reaches a thick, creamy, spreadable texture, reduce mixer speed to low and add food coloring.
16. Continue to mix until color appears even.
17. Frost cookies. Top with sprinkles if you want to.
Enjoy!
2. Yummy Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 21/4 cups of all purpose flour
- 2 cups of unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 tsp of baking soda
- 1/2 cup of granulated sugar
- 1 cup of organic brown cane sugar
- 1 tsp of sea salt
- 2 tsp of pure vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs, both at room temperature
- 2 cups of dark chocolate semisweet morsels
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Line cookie sheet with foil or parchment paper.
2. In a mixing bowl, combine flour and baking soda. Mix well and set it aside.
3. Using an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine butter with both types of sugar in mixer's bowl, and beat content on medium speed until it becomes creamy and fluffy.
4. Reduce mixer speed to low. Add eggs, vanilla and sea salt, and beat at low speed for one minute.
5. Slowly pour in flour from step 2, and continue to beat until flour bowl's empty.
5. Keep mixing on low speed and slowly stir in chocolate morsels.
6. Using an ice-cream scooper, spoon dough onto baking sheet. Ensure each scoop's a few inches apart. Slightly press each scoop with fingers to flatten top.
7. Bake for 14 minutes, or until cookies are golden on the outside
8. Remove from oven, and let cool for one minute.
Now, enjoy the sweetness!
Thanks for visiting!
Hope you enjoyed the soft and chewy cookies.
See ya.
Wednesday, June 3, 2015
Make Life Delightfully Colorful With Monogrammed Gifts
This is a sponsored post.
In the summer season, nature enhances our landscape with a generous sprinkling of color. You can mingle an abundance of summer hues into lace your life by adding colorful accessories to your wardrobe and your home. It seems that gift-giving occasions pop up frequently during the summer with graduations, weddings and baby showers being added to birthday celebrations, anniversaries and various other special days. Gifts that include a monogram have the added touch that makes them extra special for any and every gift-giving occasion.
Places to go, stuff to carry
Whether you're the one planning a myriad of summer travel adventures or are buying a gift for someone who is always on the go, monogrammed bags can pretty much be considered a necessity rather than just an accessory. A monogrammed beach tote is ideal for a day a the beach, a weekend escape or for any of those getaway days that you can sneak into your schedule. Teenage girls, college bound young ladies and women of all ages tend to need a good size bag in which to carry all of the stuff they consider necessities.
Gift ideas
Handbags, purses, totes, beach bags, weekender bags and accessories bags are great gift ideas for teens, mature ladies and for women who are retiring from their job and eagerly anticipating the next exciting phase of their life. Young girls headed off to college will feel extra special with a monogrammed gift to take with them. With gift ideas to choose from that include personalized jewelry trays for their room, hair accessories and jewelry, you're sure to find the perfect gift for the special person you're celebrating.
Summer fun
Summer is the time to get out and have some fun. Personalized items such as drink Koozies and umbrellas make great companions to a personalized bag that you've packed with books, a blanket, sunscreen and numerous other items in. A summer picnic can be a fun family event or a way to enjoy a peaceful, romantic day or evening. A monogrammed picnic cooler set is a wonderfully unique anniversary or wedding gift. It's also a great spontaneous "just because" gift that can rekindle memories and start or restart a tradition.
Gifts that are colorful, fun and useful are excellent summertime gifts. Monogrammed gifts are wonderful any time of year and for any type of occasion.
In the summer season, nature enhances our landscape with a generous sprinkling of color. You can mingle an abundance of summer hues into lace your life by adding colorful accessories to your wardrobe and your home. It seems that gift-giving occasions pop up frequently during the summer with graduations, weddings and baby showers being added to birthday celebrations, anniversaries and various other special days. Gifts that include a monogram have the added touch that makes them extra special for any and every gift-giving occasion.
Places to go, stuff to carry
Whether you're the one planning a myriad of summer travel adventures or are buying a gift for someone who is always on the go, monogrammed bags can pretty much be considered a necessity rather than just an accessory. A monogrammed beach tote is ideal for a day a the beach, a weekend escape or for any of those getaway days that you can sneak into your schedule. Teenage girls, college bound young ladies and women of all ages tend to need a good size bag in which to carry all of the stuff they consider necessities.
Gift ideas
Handbags, purses, totes, beach bags, weekender bags and accessories bags are great gift ideas for teens, mature ladies and for women who are retiring from their job and eagerly anticipating the next exciting phase of their life. Young girls headed off to college will feel extra special with a monogrammed gift to take with them. With gift ideas to choose from that include personalized jewelry trays for their room, hair accessories and jewelry, you're sure to find the perfect gift for the special person you're celebrating.
Summer fun
Summer is the time to get out and have some fun. Personalized items such as drink Koozies and umbrellas make great companions to a personalized bag that you've packed with books, a blanket, sunscreen and numerous other items in. A summer picnic can be a fun family event or a way to enjoy a peaceful, romantic day or evening. A monogrammed picnic cooler set is a wonderfully unique anniversary or wedding gift. It's also a great spontaneous "just because" gift that can rekindle memories and start or restart a tradition.
Gifts that are colorful, fun and useful are excellent summertime gifts. Monogrammed gifts are wonderful any time of year and for any type of occasion.
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