All Hallows Eve Cocktail: Zombie

Happy Halloween! 

The kids get all the candy so I figured why not indulge in an adults-only treat. 

Recipe and photo via HGTV

Ingredients

1 oz. apricot brandy 

1 oz. light rum 

1 oz. dark or Jamaican rum 

1 oz. lime juice 

2 dashes grenadine 

Orange juice 

1 oz. Bacardi 151 rum

Directions

Mix light and dark rum and brandy in a cocktail shaker, add lime juice and grenadine. Shake well and strain into a highball glass filled with cracked ice.

Fill glass with orange juice, but leave enough room to float the Bacardi 151 rum on top. Garnish with a cherry and an orange slice.

Cheers to a fun Halloween holiday and my beloved Red Sox winning the World Series!

Last Minute Halloween Treats

Halloween is just one day away and it may be too late to throw together a costume, but there is more than enough time to make a fun, festive dessert to enjoy! These are some great recipes to consider.

Marbled Pumpkin Cheesecake with Brownie Crust from Food & Wine

Caramel Corn Blondies from A Spicy Perspective

Street Chic: Alexa Chung

Alexa Chung roared onto the fashion scene a few years ago through her work as a TV presenter and model and her slightly off beat take on classic style has made her a must-watch for both the media and fashion watchers. Being a fan of more classic looks myself, I find her style to be a great inspiration for keeping timeless styles up to date and modern.

Chung's much anticipated book, It, hits US bookshelves today and I have no doubt that it will go over well with the American fashion crowd, as it gives an inside look into her personal style and what inspires her when it comes to fashion. If you're interested, you can purchase Chung's book at Amazon. 

Monday Morning Pick Me Up: Think Positive

Tory Burch Home Line

ToryBurch.com

If you're a fan of Tory Burch like I am you have probably been wishing and hoping she would expand her business to include a home section. Well, the wait is over. Tory Burch Home is here!

It isn't a super big collection but every piece is lovely and will definitely add some Tory flair to any home. These are the items on my wish list.

Robinson Nut Cracker

Hey, Did You Hear...

Credit: Fashionista

Prince George was christened and there may have been a dress code - The Daily Mail

Kate Bosworth debuted her second collection for TopShop - Elle Magazine

Fashionista created an in-depth color map of the Spring 2014 shows - Fashionista

Giorgio Armani had quite the 'One Night Only' fashion show - New York Times

Katie Holmes joined Twitter - Refinery 29

Fall Salads

Usually when I think of cool weather fall recipes, I think of hearty, rich meals that stick to the ribs like creamy soups, mac & cheese and turkey dinners with all the fixings. But not everyone wants to eat this kind of food on a regular basis, so how do those people enjoy all the great fall flavors? Salads!

Yes, I know that isn't the answer you were hoping for but there are tons of delicious fall salads that incorporate lots of fall fruits and veggies like apples, pears, squash and sweet potato. These are the ones that I will be making.

Pomegranate-Bulgur Salad from Whole Living

Fall Salad with Roasted Pears and Blue Cheese from Confections of a Modern Bride

Thursday Night Cocktail: Smashing Pumpkin

Recipe from Tableau Bar Bistro via The Vancouver Sun

Ingredients

1.5 oz pumpkin spice puree

.5 oz Goslings dark rum

.5 oz lime juice

.5 oz vanilla syrup

Dash of whiskey bitters

Ginger beer

Club soda

Cinnamon sticks

Directions

In a tall glass add the pumpkin spice puree, rum, lime juice, vanilla syrup and bitters. Fill glass with ice and top off with club soda and ginger beer. Garnish with a cinnamon stick. 

Cheers! Halloween is one week away!

My Favorite Costumes for Halloween

Halloween is just over a week away and per usual I have left my costume to the last minute. I love the pumpkin carving and the fun fall treats that come with Halloween but I always seem to lag behind when it comes to costumes. Half the time I end up going with my favorite costume from my college days, which is a school girl. Plaid skirt, white button down and a pair of knee highs and I'm in business!

I'm trying to break my school girl habit and go with something new so I've been scouring the internet for options. These are my favorites.

Flapper Girl 

Gangster Chick

Street Chic: Nicole Richie

I remember when Nicole Richie first stepped on the fashion scene, as the sidekick of the infamous Paris Hilton. My has she come along way since then! Not only has her personal style improved by leaps and bounds but she was able to do what Paris never could,  which is be know for something beyond making tabloid headlines.

Richie's popular House of Harlow 1960 brand has expanded from jewelry to include clothes and accessories and has helped cement her status as a full-fledged fashionista and entrepreneur. With a mix of boho and glamour, Richie has a style that is east coast cool and California free all at the same time. I have to take my hat off to her, I am a huge fan of both her personal style and her House of Harlow 1960 jewelry. Keep it up Miss Richie!

Monday Morning Pick Me Up: Happy Life

Hey, Did You Hear...

Anna Wintour has upped the cost of tickets to next year's Met Gala to $25,000 - Fashionista

The Duchess of Cambridge is back and looking better than ever - The Telegraph

The war between Gwyneth Paltrow and Vanity Fair is getting ugly - Perez Hilton

Elle magazine isn't apologizing for Melissa McCarthy's controversial cover - Fashionista

Apple has poached another fashion industry exec - New York Times

Happy Saturday!!

Fall Reading List

I grew up an avid reader who liked nothing more than to curl up with a good book when it wasn't nice enough to go play outside. I still reading and I have a must-read list about a mile long. My problem? Making the time to read them! I've gotten so caught up with finishing grad school, working, dating and writing Chic | Sparkle that I haven't been devoting much time to just reading a book for pleasure. In honor of a new season I have decided to turn over a new leaf (or new page!) and start making time each night to enjoy a good book. These are the books on my fall reading list.

Paris Hangover by Kirsten Lobe

Thursday Night Cocktail: Rasmopolitan

Recipe and Photo via Martha Stewart Weddings

Ingredients

1 ounce (2 tablespoons) citrus-flavored vodka

1 ounce (2 tablespoons) raspberry-flavored vodka

1/2 ounce (1 tablespoon) Chambord

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice

1 tablespoon Simple Syrup* 

2 tablespoons cranberry juice

Raspberries, for garnish

Directions

Fill a cocktail shaker halfway with ice. Add vodkas, Chambord, lime juice, simple syrup, and cranberry juice. Shake or stir until well chilled. Strain into a martini glass. Garnish with raspberries; serve.

*Simple Syrup

Ingredients

1 cup sugar

Ice water, for bath

Directions

In a small saucepan set over medium-high heat, combine sugar and 1 cup water. Bring mixture to a boil, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sugar completely dissolves, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat, and set over ice bath until room temperature.

Cheers!

Street Chic: Kate Bosworth

Apologies for this week's Street Chic post being a day late. We had a long weekend in Massachusetts because of Columbus Day so I am a bit behind schedule.

The first thing that I look for when I see a picture of Kate Bosworth is her shoes. She has the most amazing collection of boots and booties and you can always count on her to have the latest and greatest pairs. 

Bosworth's look is very California-bohemian and it works incredibly well for her. Nothing she wears ever looks over done or to too put-together and it's really a testament to her style. I know that her personal style is not super classic and doesn't necessarily work for everyone but she looks always looks great and everyone can appreciate a well dressed woman.

The Virtues of DKNY Tights

Yes, I am writing a post about a pair of tights. Actually it's more like a PSA. Why? Well for one, tights season is fast approaching and secondly, when it comes to good quality tights, there is no better brand than DKNY. No this isn't a sponsored post, it's just that I wore a pair of black DKNY tights this past weekend that I have owned for TWO YEARS and felt the need to share this with other tights-wearing women of the world.

Now these tights of mine have not been hand washed and hung up to dry in my bathroom. I throw them in with all my other clothes on the regular wash cycle and then precede to dry them on fall blast. Yet two years later my favorite pair of tights still look like new.

I know that DKNY tights are not the cheapest brand out there but they are certainly not the most expensive either. So, if you're a tights girl like me, the next time you stop into your local department store make a beeline to the hosiery section and stock up on the DKNY tights. They have a variety of sizes, heights, colors and patterns and I promise you won't regret your purchase.

This PSA has now ended and you will return to your regularly scheduled reading.

Monday Morning Pick Me Up: Time to be Free

Homemade Halloween Candy

Halloween means three things: pumpkins, costumes and, of course, candy! As a little kid my siblings and I didn't waste time on flimsy, halloween-themed trick-or-treat bags. Just before heading out with my father we would run up to our rooms and rip the pillow cases off of our pillows and used them to collect all of our sugary loot. My mother was horrified but we insisted on taking them so that we wouldn't risk running out of room for more candy. We never filled them all the way of course, but that never stopped us from trying.

To this day I'm still a fan of classic Halloween candy like Reese's Peanut Butter Cups and Snickers bars, but my sweet tooth has expanded to include other yummy treats like salted caramel and English toffee. In celebration of all great candy I have compiled a list of the best homemade recipes that include both my old and new favorites, just in time for Halloween.

Homemade Snickers Bar via How Sweet It Is

Hey, Did You Hear...

Christian Louboutin is going nude! The luxe shoe designer just launched a collection with five flesh-colored shades to match every skin tone.

It costs Anna Dello Russo $50,000 for each outfit.

The much anticipated movie 50 Shades of Grey is down a leading man.

Phaidon just released an updated version of their popular industry guide The Fashion Book.

In love with everything Kerry Washington wears on Scandal? Now you can buy it all. 

Happy Saturday!

October Wardrobe Wishlist

Jeweled Chandelier Sweatshirt from J. Crew

Shop This Sale: J. Crew

Thursday Night Cocktail: Sparkling Cranberry Rose

Recipe via Better Homes and Gardens

Makes 8-10 Servings

Ingredients

8 - 10 sugar cubes

1 - 1 1/4 cups cranberry juice

1 750 milliliter bottle sparkling rose wine or champagne

fresh cranberries

Directions

 

Place one sugar cube in the bottom of 8 to 10 chilled champagne flutes or other tall, narrow glasses. Pour 2 tablespoons cranberry juice into each glass.

Fill each glass with sparkling rose wine or champagne. Place a wooden skewer of fresh cranberries in each glass. 

Cheers! The long weekend is nearly here!

No Carve Pumpkin Decor

Halloween month is upon us! Yes, I said Halloween month. Why? Because one night is not enough time to celebrate the holiday synonymous with fun size candy and pumpkins.

Beautifully carved pumpkins are always great but some people (myself included) can barely carve a turkey let alone a pumpkin. No need to get concerned if your Jack O'Lantern skills are as lack luster as mine. There are tons of great DIY pumpkin decor ideas that don't include carving.

Naturally, the pumpkin project that I like best is the one with all the sparkly glitter.

Candy Corn Pumpkins via Better Homes and Gardens

Street Chic: Jessica Alba

Jessica Alba has been highly lauded within the celebrity media realm as being quite fashionable and her personal style often emulated. Despite this, I kept over looking Alba when it came to including her in a Street Chic post. Whenever I saw her pictured out and about I never really thought much of her clothes or overall look. That is, until I saw her during Fashion Week last month. I fell in love with the high waisted pink skirt and cropped sweater that she was wearing and all I could think was "If Audrey Hepburn were alive today, this is the outfit she would be wearing."

That one looked made me re-think my opinion of Alba's personal style and I am so glad it did. For a busy working mother she looks cool and pulled together all the time, but without looking as if she was trying to hard. It's laid back California girl with lot's of layering and a big dash of polish. I think what I enjoy most about Alba is the fact that her style can be easily replicated by normal women. It isn't hyped up or over styled. It's real clothes on a real person, and I think everyone can appreciate that kind of street style.

Fall Tablescapes & Place Settings

Way back before all the Fashion Week chaos I did a post called Festive Fall Centerpieces that was meant to be part of a series on fall entertaining. Now that fashion month is over I finally have time to talk place settings and tablescapes.

Many people like to keep their main focus on the centerpiece but what really helps create a memorable table are all the other details that compliment your centerpiece like napkins, candles, china, glasses and silverware. Just think about it. What would your table look like if it just had the centerpiece sitting in the middle? Pretty boring, right?

These are some of the fall place settings and tablescapes that I found to be the most inspiring.

Rustic Al Fresco

Monday Morning Pick Me Up: Believe That You Can

Fall Fashion Best Bets: Coats & Jackets

I know it isn't quite time to break out the wool coats, but if you wait until Winter arrives to buy said wool coat there won't be much selection left in the stores. It's best to get a new coat early in the season when they have the best selection of styles and sizes. 

These are my top picks for fall jackets (now) and winter coats (later).

Jackets

J. Crew Collection Icon Trench

Barbour Annendale Jacket

Weekend Cocktail: Apple Cider Margarita

Recipe via How Sweet Eats via Gifts.com

Ingredients

1 ounce Grand Marnier

1 ounce gold tequila

5 to 6 ounces sweet apple cider

orange segments and apple slices

cinnamon, cane sugar and coarse white sugar for rimming the glass

cinnamon sticks for garnish

Directions

Add a few spoonfuls of cane sugar, coarse sugar and cinnamon to a plate. Run an orange segment around the edge of the glass, then press into the cinnamon sugar mixture to coat the rim. Add a few orange slices in the bottom of the glass, fill with ice, then add the Grand Marnier, tequila and apple cider and stir to mix. Garnish with apple slices and cinnamon sticks.

Cheers!

Hey, Did You Hear...

Happy Saturday! I apologize for the lack of posts the last couple of days. Things at work were a little hectic this week. I will have a belated weekly cocktail post later in the day so do stay tuned for that.

Working in public relations and being obsessed with fashion means that I read a lot of great articles and come across tons of interesting information and news, some of which I think is worth sharing, so each weekend I will be featuring a post called "Hey, Did You Hear..." which will include links to interesting news, ideas and information that I think you will enjoy. I would love to hear your feedback on this so please feel free to leave a comment or suggestion below.

Marc Jacobs is leaving Louis Vuitton!

Want to look back at Marc's work at Louis Vuitton? British Vogue has a lovely gallery.

In case you missed out on Paris Fashion Week, these were the biggest trends.

Guilty Pleasure Alert: House of Versace premieres tonight on Lifetime TV.

Power is the best currency. Find out who is part of The New Establishment.

Top image from Reuters via The Wall Street Journal

Shop This Sale: Tory Burch Friends & Family

Paris Fashion Week Spring 2014: Part Three

The past couple of days have been jam packed with shows from the industries top talent and there were almost too many amazing looks to choose from. The craftsmanship and detail from Valentino was second to none and I can envision most, if not all, of the gowns from Elie Saab marching down the red carpet in the very near future. These are my top picks from the past two days.

Valentino

Valentino

Street Chic: Paris Fashion Week

It's the last week of fashion month and i'm trying to enjoy the over the top street style while I can. If something has to end, it might as well end with a bang, right? I would expect nothing more from Paris Fashion Week and I wasn't disappointed! These are my favorite street style looks from the week thus far.