Tag: Holidays

OOTD: Fleece Navidad

by Ashley DeLargeLeave a Comment on OOTD: Fleece Navidad

Good Morning and Happy Monday (yuck…), everyone!

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend. Mine was as busy as ever- with my wrapping up the last of my Christmas shopping, swinging by a really fun holiday party at one of my favorite local breweries in Malden, and spending some time with my family eating great food and making plans for the coming weeks ahead.

Today is shaping up to be a busy one- not just because of work and some scheduled errands later on this afternoon/evening- but also because the World Series trophy is making a scheduled appearance near my office today. It’s a big deal- especially with the lot of us here being Red Sox fans- so we’re re-configuring our entire afternoon around photo-ops and selfies. As one does, I suppose.

But before I fix my hair and re-apply some lipstick for my own shameless selfie- I wanted to share one of my favorite, festive sweaters to wear this time of year- and one I actually sported this past weekend. Ugly Christmas sweaters and the holiday parties that celebrate them aren’t going away anytime soon- but I like that this one in-particular is actually pretty funny, creative- and kind of cute!

Also- it’s definitely cozy!

I layered this sweater with a white tank top and paired it with a pair of skinny jeans and my knee-high brown boots. The sweater got a lot of laughs, which is always good- and I ended up keeping it on post-party when I met up with friends later on, too!

I plan on wearing this again at least one or two more times before Christmas this year. I love it so much and I never get the chance to wear it- for obvious reasons.

But for now I’m off to get my usual start-of-the-week grind going and begin checking my voicemails, e-mails and reviewing my cases for this week. I’m not thrilled about it- although I’m never thrilled on Monday mornings- but it’s just the first step towards Friday!

I hope you all have a wonderful rest of your day and that the next few days are as stress-free and painless as possible!

xx

– Ashley –

“Nobody’s walking out on this fun, old-fashioned family Christmas…”

by Ashley DeLargeLeave a Comment on “Nobody’s walking out on this fun, old-fashioned family Christmas…”

Good Morning and Happy Monday, everyone! We made it to another weekend!

With December officially in full-swing and Christmas just a little over two weeks away- these past few days have been spent decorating, cooking/baking, doing as much gift shopping as possible in-between work and spending time with friends/family- and that’s not including trying to iron out the details of my New Year’s Eve plans and finalizing the last of my blog posts for 2018!

As much as I love this time of year, it can be a little crazy schedule-wise- so I’ve been trying to plan/coordinate my time accordingly and days ahead of time, allotting a couple of hours here and there to get things done so that I don’t get overwhelmed, stresses and flustered. I want to enjoy the holidays, after all!

Earlier this week saw me doing what has become one of my favorite Christmas traditions in recent years- getting Oliver dressed up so I can take his photo for my annual holiday cards. While past cards have just featured Oliver in various, festive outfits by himself in front of a cute backdrop- this year I decided it was time for Oliver to meet the man himself and brought him to my local, independent pet store to meet Santa for a fun little pop-up and fundraiser they had planned.

The store in question were taking donations to help fund the construction of a new dog park in my neighborhood- which I’m really excited about- and they were so good with Oliver. The photos came out amazing- and I can’t wait to get the cards in the mail early next week!

This coming weekend kicks of the series of Christmas/Holiday parties I’ve got lined up over the next couple of weeks- and I’ll be at Idle Hands Craft Ales in Malden for Indie617′s first ever holiday gathering- with an ugly sweater ready to go! If you’re in the area and you want to stop by for some good beer and great tunes- come say hello!

But for now, I’m off to get some work done at my office, get my finances in order since it’s Pay Day today- and make sure my calendar and my planner are all organized for the next few days.

Here’s wishing you all a wonderful Friday and a fun, safe weekend! I’ll be back next week with some new recipes, a re-cap of my festive fun- and plenty of photos along the way!

xx

– Ashley –

OOTD: Reindeer Games

by Ashley DeLargeLeave a Comment on OOTD: Reindeer Games

Good Morning and Happy Wednesday, everyone!

Today is a half day for me at work, after which I’ll be heading out to Concord, Massachusetts for a bit of a seasonal photo project- weather and time permitting (Daylight Savings Time complicates everything after 3:30 p.m. these days!)

I have a lot to do this morning at my office before I take off- but I wanted to share one of my favorite holiday ensembles I wore earlier this week- both to work and then to a little tree lighting ceremony in the common of my neighborhood later on that evening!

It’s been fluctuating between warm and tolerable (but rainy) and frigid and windy (but sunny) over these past few days- so staying warm, dry and comfortable has been my goal while out with friends, getting some holiday shopping done, and running errands. I still want to stay festive and chic, of course- so I opted to sport some insanely soft fleece leggings (with snowflake and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer print!) a crisp, white chunky sweater and faux-fur lined boots.

And I have never been cozier!

And despite any pre-conceived notions of what constitutes “office appropriate” attire- this ensemble was well-received. In a season where ugly holiday sweaters are celebrated across the board- some fuzzy leggings and an over-sized sweater are pretty tame by comparison!

I had purchased these leggings at Primark last year (the sweater came from there, too!) in preparation for a family party, thinking I’d never wear them again- but I’m glad I kept them and that they still fit so nicely!

And this was completely unintentional when I put this outfit on- but I’m quite pleased that my latest holiday manicure color scheme (red and silver) matched perfectly. I wish I could say it was planned and done on purpose- but it was just luck!

But now I’ve got to get started on downing my morning cup of coffee and getting some cases wrapped up!

Here’s wishing you all a wonderful “Hump Day”! We’re almost to Friday- and I know we can make it!

xx

– Ashley –

Festive Foodie: Gingerbread Pancakes

by Ashley DeLargeLeave a Comment on Festive Foodie: Gingerbread Pancakes

Good Morning and Happy Monday, everyone!

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend! Mine was very relaxing- with my time divided between getting some Christmas shopping done from the comfort of my couch, setting up some decorations around the house- and going on little drives with friends through the Western Massachusetts’ countryside to marvel at the snow and festively illuminated farms around the area.

And, of course- getting into the holiday spirit means cooking up some seasonally appropriate dishes, too! Case in point? These sugary gingerbread pancakes I served (with hot chocolate!) during Sunday brunch with some of the girls yesterday morning/afternoon before we hit the road for a day out together to catch up while getting some errands done.

These pancakes take about 30 minutes total to prep and bake- making them a perfect option to serve when it comes time for that last-minute holiday craziness to kick in. Don’t stress yourself out with a big breakfast. Just make these!

WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1¼ teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • ¾ teaspoon ground ginger
  • Pinch of cloves
  • Pinch of nutmeg
  • Pinch of allspice
  • 1½ cups buttermilk
  • ¼ cup molasses
  • 1 egg
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • Confectioners’ sugar, as needed for serving (optional)
  • Whipped cream, as needed for serving (optional)

READY? HERE’S WHAT YOU DO:

  1. In a large bowl, whisk the flour with the baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg and allspice to combine.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk the buttermilk with the molasses, egg and vanilla extract to combine. Add the buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture and whisk until well combined.
  3. Heat a large skillet or griddle over medium-high heat. When it’s hot, spritz it with nonstick cooking spray.
  4. Working in batches, pour scoops of batter (about ½ cup each) onto the hot griddle. Cook until the pancakes are golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes, and then flip and cook until golden on the other side, 1 to 2 minutes more. Repeat with the remaining batter.
  5. Serve immediately, garnished with confectioners’ sugar and whipped cream, is using.

A dusting of powdered sugar and a dollop of whipped cream on top- and these pancakes looked *and* tasted magical. I would gladly make these again- probably for when all the girls in my family get together to bake cookies and wrap gifts a few days before Christmas Eve! These were a big hit yesterday- and I know they’ll be a big hit then, too!

And now with another work week ahead of me, I’m off to get started on sifting through my e-mails, voicemails and caseload for the day. Here’s wishing you all an easy and stress-free start to your week!

xx

– Ashley –

November 2018: In a Nutshell

by Ashley DeLargeLeave a Comment on November 2018: In a Nutshell

Good Morning, Happy Friday- and Hello (Almost) December, everyone!

Christmas and New Year’s Eve are practically here- and there’s still so much to be done before we deck the halls and prepare to ring in 2019! Yes, it’s officially the busiest and one of the most beautiful times of year again- and I’m both excited and anxious (mostly excited, though!) It feels like I can’t sit still!

Before I tumble into December with my Christmas decorations, various gingerbread recipes and gift shopping lists in tow- I wanted to take a look back on November and all the late-Autumn fun that came with it. In a year filled with months that seemed to come and go in the blink of an eye- November actually felt much longer than usual- which had it’s ups and downs, of course.

November started off with a celebratory bang- with one of my dearest long-time friends getting married in a beautiful ceremony (with an equally gorgeous reception) a few days after the month had kicked off. This was followed-up by a different kind of celebration as one of my other friends celebrated their 35th birthday and then yet another friend announced her engagement! It was a solid 72 hours filled with laughter, ecstatic squealing- and cake…

… So much cake, you guys.

With Daylight Savings Time and the first significant snowfall of the season taking place this month and pretty much sending the message that Winter was well on it’s way- November became less about pumpkin spice and crunchy leaves and more about hot chocolate and bundling up. By the end of last week- temperatures had dropped significantly enough to where I needed a hat, a scarf, and an ice scraper for my windshield.

Only in New England, I suppose- but I love living here- and have to take the bad with the good.

Of course, as November began to wind down- it was all about the food. Multiple Friendsgivings and the actual Thanksgiving meal itself left me stuffed and overly lazy these past few days- but the quality time spent with family and friends was worth having to practically crawl to my couch by the time dessert was done.

Admittedly, November had it’s not-so-great parts, too. With the holiday(s) came stress, and with the decreased sunlight came that first wave of Vitamin D deficiency (and seasonal depression.) Late last week and then earlier this week I had a bit of a falling out with a guy friend of mine I’d been spending a lot of time with for most of the year and leading up to now. He’s overwhelmed. I’m overworked and exhausted- and now our future heading into December is a bit uncertain.

It’s not a great feeling, especially with things like Christmas approaching- but I’m trying to stay busy and optimistic. Whatever is meant to happen will happen on it’s own and in due time. The silver lining is that the experience gave me some much-needed perspective and now, as I prepare to draft my resolutions for the New Year- I’ll have some tangible goals to put into motion.

All that being said, what do I have planned for December? A *ton* of holiday stuff, obviously! That includes recipes, festive OOTDs, plenty of parties, travel to some of New England’s most beautiful and picturesque Christmas-y locations and attractions- a few retrospectives and recaps on the more memorable moments of 2018- and a lot of shopping and preparations!

I’m determined to make December one of the most fun months ever- and to see 2018 off properly! And I’ll be blogging as I do it, of course.

But for now- it’s time to get to work before I head off for the weekend!

Enjoy your Friday and the coming days ahead, everyone! See you all again on Monday!

xx

– Ashley –