A Very Preppy Christmas

      In my family, we are all about tradition, especially when it comes to holidays. For Christmas, there are a few traditions that we do every year without fail.  The first is making "Green Cookies".  Its a recipe that has been passed down about 4 generations now and one that I will most definitely be teaching my future children.  You've probably seen these cookies before as they've gotten very popular over the years, but I will stand by the claim that ours are the best and that we started this recipe...you can't prove otherwise!  Anyways, the recipe can be found here.
     My mom was worn out from making them every Christmas for the passed 25 years, so this year I decided to make them because of course, my dad started nagging for them the on Dec. 1st.  This is completely embarrassing to admit (but necessary to show how good they are) but I made two batches, each with 6 cookies, and I ate 10 of them...yes, 10.  That means that in two days I consumed almost two sticks of butter and 45 marshmallows. I'm not proud of it, but the 3 extra pounds I gained were totally worth the gooey-goodness.  I recommend you try them just once and you'll be hooked too!

aren't they cute!

Another tradition we always follow is that every Christmas we get all dressed up for church (which we actually do every time we go to church) and take family portraits before we go. This year we did a few in the house and a few at Mizner Park by the beach.

our goofy picture with your cat Voochie <3

me and my sister

My dad is such a boss

After church, just like every Christmas, we went to PF Chang's for a Chinese dinner.  I don't know how we got started on this tradition...I think it's because Chinese food is one of the few things available on Christmas Eve but I'm not really sure.

The next day was obviously Christmas morning. We open our stockings first and then take turns each opening one present until we're done.  Then we eat a huge and delicious breakfast that usually takes until lunch to prepare. But it's always worth the wait.

My Ralph Lauren stripped pj's

The next tradition is my favorite. Being from Florida, we have sunshine year round which some people don't actually like. I always get asked if I'm sad that I can't have a white Christmas. My answer: I like snow for one day, after that it just kind of annoys me. I'd rather go some place sunny for break and return to school tanner than all my friends who got snowed in and couldn't leave their houses.  Every Christmas morning, Haley (my sister) and I go to the beach for a few hours and then return in the late afternoon to help my mom start cooking our Christmas feast. If you haven't noticed, our family likes to center holidays around food, which is why I always come back from breaks with tighter pants.

This is the uh-may-zing feast my mom prepared...she really outdoes herself sometimes.

always gotta include a little Martinelli's sparkling cider for special occasions!

and a french tart for dessert!

Overall it was a great Christmas and I got some pretty sweet gifts. Two of my favorites were a gold monogrammed necklace and metallic Sperry's.  I can't wait for the spring in Annapolis to wear them!!  I hope everyone had a wonderful, relaxing break too :)

Peter Pan Collar

So for the past few weeks I've been looking for a shirt with a "peter pan collar".  I finally found one at HandM and even though I was a little skeptical about the color, I decided to buy it.  I paired it with a simple high-waisted black skirt because I figure you can't go wrong there, and red lipstick to keep my face from getting washed out. And here were the final results!

My sister told me I look like a stylish 5 year old...I took it as a compliment.

Nine West wedges...a bit hard to walk in :)

The only problem with this shirt is that It can't be worn with much else...I'm not to worried though because I rocked this outfit today :)

anchors aweigh!

I just got home for winter break and let me just say, it's been wayyyy to long, South Florida!  I didn't realize just how much I hate the cold until I stepped out of the airport and took a deep breath of the humid, 80 degree air. I've always been a beach bunny...nothing's going to change that. My first day back I lounged with my sister by the pool in the sunshine and got some much needed color on my pale legs. 

The view from my pool-side lounge chair

My sister, mom and I also did some last minute christmas shopping yesterday. I'm actually very behind because the only person I've actually bought gifts for so far is my dad. Soooo, I need to get a move on.  This is what I wore to go shopping in.  I just got this shirt from J.Crew and the shorts from Gap, so I was really eager to wear them.  I kind of look like I'm about to go sailing but no biggie!

my new monogram necklace...definintely saving up for a real one!

I've also been doing a lot of cooking since I've been home. My favorite website Pinterest has a lot of really great recipe ideas and I've already tried out a bunch of them.  So far my favorite has been the mini zuchini pizzas.  They're really easy to make and they're healthy because you're basically just replacing the pizza doe for thick zuchini slices.  I know that sounds strange, but trust me, they're pretty good!  I'm also in the process of making "almond lace cookies" right now. I'll let you know how they turn out!!

The first batch!

Have a great day!

New York City for my 22nd Birthday!

This past weekend for my 22nd birthday, Neil surprised me with a trip to New York City.  We stayed in a four star hotel in New Jersey which was a 40 minute train ride/20 minute car ride in to the city.  Early on Saturday morning, we got up and took the train into Penn Station and then wandered 5th avenue going in to all my favorite shops.

it was so cold and the train was late!

Chanel shoes...aren't they perfect!

Of course I wanted to try New York's famous pizza so we grabbed a slice of cheese at 10 am for breakfast....no, it's never too early for pizza!

sooo good!

Some of my favorite stores that we went in to were Chanel, Tiffany and Co., and H&M.  I even treated myself to a new pair of dark pink, suede high-heels. Don't worry, they're not as scary as they sound and are actually very pretty and understated!

We left the city early to go back to the hotel to get ready for dinner.  We drove back into the city (which was extremely frustrating!) and had dinner at one of my favorite restaurants, Fig and Olive.  It is a little pricey but I would recommend it to anyone who is looking for a super tasty meal!  I had penne with mushrooms and white truffle oil, and Neil had pumpkin sage ravioli. Unfortunately, they only gave him 3 large pieces of pasta but he is a very big guy so we had to get Mac Donald's afterwards!

isn't he handsome?

After dinner, we had tickets to see the show Wicked!  I have been dying to see it ever since I read the book a few years ago. It was phenominal! It deviated from the actual story but it was still hilarious and great...I would honestly not mind seeing it again. and again.

so excited!

Overall, it was a perfect birthday and I am so glad that I got to share it with Neil. He truly is the greatest guy I've ever dated and I can't wait for all the other adventures we're going to have in the future.

Don't we look great together? i love him <3