Rings & Things

I am a sucker for dark nail polish. Any color - as long as it's inky and dark. I didn't think any other nail trend could even come close to my love for dark polish...until now. The influx of warm gray/taupe-y nail colors have really caught my attention! These colors are such a great alternative to the classic nude colors that a lot of people wear. My current favorite is "Mink Muffs," by Essie. I've included a picture of what the color looks like on my nails below.  Here are a few other choices if you want to try this trend:
1. You Don't Know Jacques - OPI (also love this one!)
2. Commander In Chic - Sally Hansen
3. Particuliere - Chanel (this one looks amazing in the bottle)
4. Over The Taupe - OPI Brights collection
5. Toast - RGB Nail Polish
6. Sandstone - Nubar Nail Lacquers

Mink Muffs by Essie

Since I was already taking pictures of my fingers, I wanted to show you guys some of my favorite rings! I love jewelry, especially any kind of bracelet, cuff, or bangle. I've got a great collection of them, but I also have a growing love for big rings. And I do mean big! I love wearing rings in the winter, especially, because with all the jackets and sweaters I wear, you can't really see my bracelets. That's where a ring comes in - you can see it no matter what you're wearing! Let me apologize in advance for my hands... they are not pretty!

This is the ring my parents gave me for college graduation. I wear it every single day!

Gold & silver elephant rings rings that I wear either alone or stacked on top of each other.

Aweomse, eye-catching sun burst ring with white enamel band.

L to R: White ring w/turquoise snake, awesome silver ring w/piece of coral down the center. My mom found it on one of her trips (thanks Mom!) So unique!

L to R: handmade gold ring w/turquoise stones on top & side (this was made in my hometown!), gold corset shaped ring

Waterford ring holder, where I keep all the rings that are in current rotation.

Leopard-Print Snow Day!

The weatherman was actually right (for once) about the snow. It's here!!! It's been snowing hard for over 6 hours, so I wanted to have a photoshoot in the snow. Because - as everyone knows - rarely, does it snow this much ,or this hard, in Tennessee!

I've had this leopard print jacket since I was in high school. My mom and I found it on a shopping trip to Nashville actually. I've loved it ever since...I even wore it in my picture for "Best Dressed" in high school, haha! I inherited my love of leopard print my mom. Since the day I was born (and before, probably) she's worn this print boldly and often! When I was in middle school, I would get embarrassed when she would wear leopard-print because I thought it drew attention to me...and you know, in middle school, NO ONE (nope,  not even ME) wants attention on them. Once I starting developing a style of my own in high school, I couldn't get enough leopard print! I realized just how in style and fabulous my mom was and had always been by wearing this incredible print! Thanks Mom for giving me your fashion sense! I've loved it my whole life...even when I pretended I didn't :)

Winner Winner Chicken Dinner

I want to start off by saying I've just started reading The Pioneer Woman blog, and her cooking section makes me feel like a slob in the kitchen!! However, what makes me feel better is: I don't have 4 children and a "cowboy" to feed...nor do I live on a farm...and I'm only in my 20s, so I have a little bit more time to practice and get that GOOD! Her pictures are incredible, too, so that in itself is worth checking the blog out!

I love chicken. And in all honesty, I love fish, pork, veal, and steak as well... but chicken has my heart. I am constantly looking for new ways to cook it. A couple years ago, my roommate moved across the country, but she left me this incredible cookbook in her place: "Great Recipes Collection: Chicken Dinners." There are 500 chicken recipes in this book!! A CHICKEN GOLDMINE!!! I cooked another yummy dish from this recipe that I'd like to share with you. Hope you try it and enjoy it as much as I did!

Mediterranean-Style Chicken
Servings: 4

Nonstick cooking spray
1 1/2 - 2 lbs chicken pieces (I used skinless, boneless chicken breasts - 3 to be exact)
1 14.5 ounce can tomatoes, cut up to bite-sized pieces if they already aren't (mine were)
1/4 cup dry red wine
1 TBS snipped fresh basil, or 1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp sugar
1 clove garlic, minced
1 bay leaf
1 TBS cold water
2 tsp cornstarch
Hot cooked spaghetti (optional)
1/4 cup sliced pimiento-stuffed olives or pitted ripe olives

1. Coat an unheated skillet with nonstick cooking spray. Preheat over medium heat. Add chicken and cook for 10-15 mins, or until browned, turning to brown evenly.
2. Add undrained tomatoes, wine, basil, sugar, garlic, and bay leaf. Bring to boil; reduce heat. Cover and simmer about 30-35 mins or until chicken is tender and no longer pink. Remove chicken from skillet; keep warm.
3. In a small bowl stir together cold water and cornstarch . Stir into tomato mixture in skillet. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir for 2 mins more. Discard bay leaf.
4. If desired, serve chicken and tomato mixture over hot cooked spaghetti. Sprinkle with olives.

In the words of Rachel Ray.....YUM-O!!!

The pics are of my fabulous dinner tonight, and I wanted to add another random one. The gorgeous little girl is my cousin, Kendall's, child. Kendall emailed me this picture, and I decided to play with it a little. She's the most beautiful baby, and I am completely smitten with her! (And if you watch any of Tori Spelling's reality shows, my nickname for her is "Buggy.") :)

Wine Down Wednesday

Tonight, my boyfriend and I went to Urban Flats for "Wine Down Wednesday." For $20 you get 8 tickets, 5 red wines and 5 white wines...you choose how you use the 8 tickets. (Plus there's a sampling of their food buffet-style!) Brilliant! We also had some lobster mac n cheese and a fig & prosciutto flat bread. Make that 2 flat breads. :) Afterwards, we did an impromptu photo shoot in the parking lot. This black and white leather vest is a product of shopping in my own closet. I've had this vest for longer than I care to remember. I've had it for so long that it was in style....out of style....and now, back in style again. I recently brought it back to Nashville with me, from my parent's house. Today is the first day I've worn it in years! Cheers to finding new things within your own closets! If you have re-discovered something in your own closet, post it in the comments section!

A Jumble of Necklaces

It was freezing in Nashville today, so I dressed accordingly... Got the eel-skinned boots from my mom. She's had them since she was pregnant with me. So that makes them......... old enough :)

Chicken a la Orange

While my boyfriend and I were trying on jeans at the newly opened True Religion store, he had the idea of making orange chicken. After searching all of Food Network and each of my cookbooks, I settled on this recipe. It was AMAZING!!!!! Best of all, it was very easy. Try it for yourself...

Orange-Dijon Chicken
Servings: 4

4 Medium skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1/2 c. EVOO (that's extra virgin olive oil for the non-Rachel Ray devotees)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1 recipe orange-dijon glaze (recipe is below)
coarsely ground black pepper
Orange zest or peel(optional)

1. Place chicken in heavy, large self-sealing plastic bag.
2. In small bowl stir together EVOO, garlic, salt, and the 1/8 tsp pepper. Pour over chicken. Seal bag; turn to coat well. Marinate in refrigerator for at least 4 hrs. or up to 8 hrs.* Turning bag occasionally.
3. Prepare Orange Dijon glaze. Cover & refrigerate.
4. Drain chicken and discard marinade. Place chicken on unheated rack of a broiler pan. Broil chicken 4-5 inches from the heat for 12-15 mins. or until no longer pink, turning once.
5. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, heat the glaze until heated through.
6. Slice chicken breasts and spoon glaze over chicken; sprinkle with ground pepper. If desired, garnish with orange zest or peel.

Orange Dijon Glaze
In a small bowl, stir together 1/4 cup orange juice (or frozen OJ concentrate, thawed), 3-4 TBS Dijon style mustard, 2 TBS water, 1 TBS balsamic vinegar, 1 TBS EVOO, 1 tsp snipped fresh basil, and 1/2 tsp fresh or dried rosemary. This makes about 3/4 cup of the glaze.

*I made this recipe a little different because we didn't have time to marinate the chicken for as long as the recipe stated. Instead, I put the chicken in the Ziploc bag, like the recipe says. I left that in the refrigerator for about 20-30 mins to chill. I cooked the chicken in a Pyrex dish for 25 mins on 350 degrees, until done. With about 3 mins left, I spooned about half of the glaze over the chicken. Once it was done, I spooned the rest of the heated glaze over the chicken once it was on the plates. This was still WONDERFUL!!

On My Radar...

-Figuring out how to blog
-New Samsung HD flip camera I got for Christmas
-Pamela Love jewelry
-The movie "Nine"
-Peter's Pottery
-Whole Foods Juice Bar
-Hannah Nicole Cabernet
-Melinda Maria jewelry
-Christopher Ross belts
-Caramel Apple Coffee Mate
-leftover candy canes from Christmas
-Chobani Yogurt
-Smartwater
-A Fine Frenzy's last 2 albums
-Eric Church's "Carolina" album
-Toy Watches
-Julia Child "Mastering the Art of French Cooking Vol. I & II"
-Honeysuckle & White Patchouli Candle for Victoria's Secret
-St. Tropez Whipped Bronze Mousse self tanner
-Neutrogena lipstick in #400 Berry Burst
-Moroccan Hair Oil
-Essie nail polish in Mink Muffs
-thrifted red cowboy boots
-Love By Kilian perfume (comes in a cool, creepy casket-looking shiny black box)

FINALLY!

Hi everyone! Thank you for coming to check out my blog! I've been wanting to start a blog for a while but haven't for a couple of reasons... One, I'm never nervous. Never. (My mom wonders how this can be true before I go onstage to talk or sing.) BUT...I am nervous to start a blog about what I think is cool, stylish, or amazing. I mean, who cares what I think? But over the past year, I've become addicted to several blogs. Two, since I have become addicted to these blogs, I have been exposed to and inspired by MANY new things such as places to go in different cities, new designers, new recipes to try, new and different ways to put my clothes together, unique outlooks on life, fashion and the like. I thought that maybe I could influence or inspire some people, too. Or at the very least, get this blogging thing out of my system :) So, again, thanks for visiting, and I hope you enjoy this blog. Here goes nothin'........