Month: December 2011

Wedding Wisdom: Tis the season!

Have you always imagined a winter wedding wonderland for your I do’s? Well, then you are one smart lady and you didn’t even know it did ya?

Venues are typically discounted up to 50% during winter and late summer months. Not to mention, hotel rates can be cheaper (as long as you aren’t looking in late December) and you can save MAJOR bucks on decor! Churches, hotels, banquet halls and virtually any other type of wedding location will already be dressed to the nines in holiday decor, so why not use this to your advantage? Here are a few tips:

  1. Before you book a winter wedding, make sure you visit your venue while it is decorated. Plastic Santas and reindeer not your style? Better to find out before you sign on the dotted line!
  2. Once you have an idea of what decorations you are working with, find your inspiration. Choose your colors based off your surroundings; if your venue’s decorations are mostly gold and white, incorporate these colors into your wedding palette. If there is a lot of greenery, go with a complementary earth tones. 
  3. Candles, candles and more candles. Winter nuptials mean you will likely be saying your vows inside and it will either be dark outside or you’ll have to have an early ceremony. Dim the lights and decorate your aisle and tables with candles of all sizes. You will set a romantic ambiance and save some cash on flowers!
  4. Mother nature makes it look pretty, you can too! Look to nature for some inspiration: pine cones, branches and holly can look absolutely gorgeous with a little design work. 
  5. Last but not least, if you are a January bride, get yourself to the craft stores after Christmas! Prices for all types of holiday decoration will be cut in half! Know what you want before you go and scope out the merchandise before Christmas to see what is left. You can even try to make friends with an employee so they can keep a lookout for you. Most importantly, be creative with these items. Packages of clear plastic ornaments are so cheap you can’t resist? Find a way to use them for seating cards or fill them with candy and use them for favors! 
Look at this bouquet and boutonniere combo!
And this centerpiece option:
The possibilities are endless! Happy decorating!
 

District Dining: The Hamilton

Your average 24 hour restaurant usually attracts a specific kind of clientele, namely truck drivers and inebriated twenty somethings. One of DC’s newest restaurants, The Hamilton, is sure to redefine the 24 hour crowd! Located at the corner of 14th and F NW, The Hamilton is a massive restaurant and live music venue which opened in mid-December courtesy of Clyde’s Restaurant Group. 

Last night, my girlfriends and I decided to give it a try. While the service was less than stellar, the food was good and the 37,000 square feet of cavernous space makes you feel like the possibilities are endless. We were able to get a reservation last minute and I am still trying to decide whether this was due to the restaurant still being too “new” or the fact that it is just so darn huge! Once we arrived, we were taken through the main bar, a secondary bar, a ballroom-sized dining room, up a staircase, past yet another bar and finally to our table. These hostesses sure get their exercise! 
One of the many bars at the The Hamilton!
Picture courtesy of the Washingtonian.com
We were greeted quickly by a very nice, but apparently nervous waiter who offered us water and returned after all of our guests arrived. We ordered two bottles of wine off the list, which is actually divided into the various types of foods that are served and paired accordingly. So, if you are ordering seafood, the Hamilton recommends about 10 different wines that will pair well with your entree. This is unique, but made searching for a specific wine like trying to find a needle in a haystack and it isn’t helpful if you want wine before you know what you are going to order. 
The waiter brought fresh bread and butter and took our entree orders, clearly still feeling his way through the menu which I guess is to be expected as they have only been open a few weeks. The menu has a great variety of choices, ranging from burgers to pasta to seafood to sushi, without feeling overwhelming which I enjoyed. I ordered a salmon salad, which very tasty, and the other ladies ordered a variety of sushi. Everyone was very pleased with their meals and all plates were empty! Mission successful! 
Overall, I’d say the Hamilton offers an extensive menu, good cuisine and a quintessentially “DC” vibe. The service still room to improve, but hopefully this will happen as the restaurant matures. I think the true niche for The Hamilton is going to be the combination of better-than-bar food with a live music scene. The fact that the restaurant is open 24 hours a day is novel, I will be interested to see how it ends up working. I can’t imagine there will be enough customers to support all hours and I can’t help but wonder if offering such a range of food will end up wreaking havoc on the restaurant’s identity and quality. I guess time will tell! 
 

The Cat’s Meow, Dahling

Sunglasses in December? Why, yes, I will! During a recent two hour delay in the Orlando Airport, I found myself in terminal’s Sunglass Hut pondering the benefits of Aviators vs. Wayfarers. Lo and behold – move over 2011 eyewear and say hello to the 50s again! I moseyed on over to a pair of Tory Burch’s new cateye frames and viola – instantly chic!

Cateye frames have been out for a few months now, a trend that has be catapulted by Ms. Kourtney Kardashian herself. However, the exaggerated versions seem to have some sort of clause denoting them only fit for gorgeous celebrities because I’ve never seen them work on anyone else…except for this non-discriminating version from Tory! 

Check them out on Tory Burch’s site here. Not a fan of the cateye look? Check out the Rounded Aviator Sunnies – another one of my favorites! 

 

Purse Alert

LuckyBrand is one of those stores that I don’t frequent often, but I am always pleasantly surprised when I do. On the day after Christmas last year, I found the most perfect pair of black skinny pants at LuckyBrand that always seem to look good with everything and now wish I had bought 10 pairs! Keeping the tradition going, I went to LuckyBrand a few days ago, secretly hoping I’d find these magical black pants again. I didn’t find black pants, but I did find a great pair of red skinny cords and fawned over this trendy piece of arm candy. It was on sale and I would have nabbed it had I not just made a recent Coach acquisition just a few months ago. This bag has the flexibility to wear it cross-body, over the shoulder or handheld; it has space galore for all of a lady’s favorite knickknacks and the color is just snazzy enough to make a statement without screaming. Plus the faded gold works as neutral so you can wear it with virtually any color. Check it out here!

 

Globe Trotting – Orlando Announced as one of the Top Destinations for 2012!

I never thought this day would come! Growing up in Orlando, Florida, Disney, Universal and other assorted attractions were a part of my youth. However, spending a decade there, I can assure you that Orlando is much more than Mickey Mouse and Harry Potter. The city has come a long way in the past few years and offers so much more than tourist attractions to visitors, which is why I am so excited that it has made CNN’s recent list of the World’s Top Destinations for 2012! Go Team Orlando!

I’m just leaving the Sunshine State after spending Christmas vacation with my family, which was a constant, balmy 80 degrees. In my short five days, my family and I were able to enjoy so much! My husband golfed with my father and brother while my mother, aunt and I went to see Shrek! On Ice at the Gaylord Palms. My uncle is a seasoned outdoorsman and went hiking every single day he was in town. I was able to do some excellent shopping, enjoy unique, small town cuisine and even take in a local live band. The possibilities are endless – and you don’t even have to set foot in an amusement park!

I love strolling down the streets of Winter Park!

One of my favorite areas to stroll around is Winter Park, FL. While it is a small suburb of Orlando, Winter Park’s ambiance is comparable to that of Georgetown. Brick and cobblestone streets are lined with unique restaurants, shops and coffeehouses on one side and a large open square marked on each end with fountains on the other side.

Visit 310 Park South for dinner and stroll down to The Briar Patch for homemade ice cream or a slice of cake. If you’re in the mood for shopping you’ll have to stop by Tuni’s. For cocktail hour (or hours) head over to The Wine Room to taste one of their more than 150 wines by the ounce! Each wine has its own automatic pour function allowing you to taste just an ounce, a half a glass or a full glass. Whatever size you choose is logged on a card which you prepay with money and can continue adding funds as you go, which trust me, can be dangerous!

Winter Park is just one of the small treats Orlando has to offer – visit and you can explore even more unique neighborhoods!

 

New Years Eve Glamour

New Year’s Eve provides the perfect opportunity to take some daring fashion risks. I have been dying for an occasion to wear a gold sequined dress – maybe this is the year!

This Milly number is my favorite! Pair it with some cute black tights and sassy booties and I’ll be in business!

 

Structured Blazers

It is all about the blazers this year. Influence and inspiration ranging from the 80s to equestrian make the options endless. A blazer can make your basic jeans and heels dateworthy and your favorite dress and tights work appropriate. The key is to find something tailored and to stay away from anything boxy. Feminine details and bright colors will keep your look from being too stuffy and will add some pizazz to even the most simple LBD you have in your closet. Here are some of my favorites!Structured Blazers

 

Donning the Apron: Christmas Edition!

Christmas dinner at the McFadden house is a feast of epic proportions. My brother fancies himself a food connoisseur and my dad watches the Top Chef food challenges to get “inspiration” for new recipes. My mom is more of a traditional cook, relying on family recipes passed down through the years and making some small tweaks. I usually stay out of the kitchen around holidays because my mom gets a bit sensitive about anyone messing with her ovens. However, this year I suggested making some appetizers so I could be WELL out of her way before dinnertime. I decided on a flatbread recipe I had made at our festivus party a week ago and my mom decided I should make spinach artichoke dip. The only problem was, I hadn’t made spinach artichoke dip in a few years and I didn’t fully remember the recipe! I had to do the best I could to make it up as I went! I didn’t get a chance to get any pictures, but both dishes turned out really well! Here is the recipe for the flatbread – I’ve got to try to make the spinach dip again to get the recipe straight!

Ingredients
1 Granny Smith Apple
10 slices of prosciutto
1 block (8 ounces) of a sharp white cheddar cheese – Vermont white cheddar if you can find it!
Olive oil

1 package of Pillsbury thin crust pizza dough



Prep Work
Preheat the oven to 400
Grate the cheese and put it aside
Cut the proscuitto into strips that are about an inch thick; proscuitto is hard to cut, so use a sharp knife and don’t worry about it being perfect
Slice the apple very thin, use a mandolin if possible. Do this last as apple browns quickly.

Get down to the cookin!
Unroll the pizza crust on a greased baking sheet (I used tin foil to line the pan)
Brush the crust with a light layer of olive oil
Sprinkle a thin layer of cheese on the crust
Line the apple slices in rows on the crust. It is ok to let the slices touch, but try not to overlap them.
Sprinkle another thin layer of cheese on top of the apple slices
Arrange the proscuitto on top of the layer of cheese. You don’t need to be exact with the placement, but make sure you’ll get a taste with each bite.
Sprinkle another layer of cheese; this can be thicker than the others, but shouldn’t be too thick.
Put the flatbread in the oven and bake for 10 minutes or until the cheese is bubbling and the crust is a light golden brown.
Slice and serve!

 

Merry Married Christmas!

There is nothing quite like the Christmas season. Each year, I look forward to breaking out the holiday decorations, searching for the perfect tree, 24 hours straight of “A Christmas Story,” family and friends and the general feeling of holiday cheer in the air.

This being my first Christmas as a married woman, it has a whole new meaning for me. Now I have two families to celebrate the holidays with and, since my husband is also Jewish, a whole slew of new traditions! I am looking forward to learning more about my hubby’s traditions and making him a part of my family’s crazy Christmas celebrations. I also can’t wait to start some of our own family traditions! 
 

Registry Rewards

Figuring out where to register can be as daunting as deciding what to register for. There are so many stores out there and factors to consider – can my guests access the stores easily or order online easily? What kind of rewards are available? What is the range of price points? What style suits you and your hubby?

I decided on Crate and Barrel, Macy’s and Pottery Barn. For me, the most important factors were merchandise, convenience for us and guests, return policies and rewards. Here are my ratings:

Merchandise: Macy’s, Crate and Barrel, Pottery Barn

Convenience: Macy’s, Crate and Barrel, Pottery Barn

Return policy: Crate and Barrel, Macy’s, Pottery Barn

Rewards: Macy’s, Crate and Barrel, Pottery Barn

I liked Crate and Barrel the most because it was so easy to handle returns, the range of merchandise was excellent and they were so easy to work with! Macy’s was good and by far the easiestfor our guests. The rewards program is great but their service is just below satisfactory. There were a lot of mixups with the gifts (wrong china pattern, wrong coffee pot, etc) and not a great attitude from te employees. Pottery Barn was not easy to work with. Half of the gifts I registered for were backordered or discontinued! I only registered for a handful of gifts there too because they were so expensive.

My advice, go with a department store, Crate and Barrel and something outside of the box like Amazon or Target! You can register for more than servingware or kitchen gear that way!

 

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