Laura's Month of December via Instagram

This past month has been incredible. I feel like December is the perfect time for reflecting on the past year and just soaking it all in. I didn't want this month to just fly by like all months prior, so I did what I could to absorb all of the holiday cheer that I could. It really will be a month to remember. 

1. Steve and Kari played another acoustic night together at the Log Cabin. 

2. I worked from the Muskegon hub for the first time and visited a new wine bar in town called Smash.

3. I attended my sales team's annual Christmas party at a coworkers house and picked up some brews on the way. 

4. I baked and decorated tons of Christmas cookies for holiday parties. 

5. I passed my Google AdWords exam for work in under 12 minutes! And I received my sticker. :)

6. I gave Steve an early Christmas present. Tickets to George Strait's Farewell tour!

7. My mom bought me this adorable Christmas ornament for our tree. 2013: Engaged.

8. We booked our honeymoon in the Smoky Mountains! How cute is this cabin we're staying in?

9. I started filming interviews for Black History Month, which will be shown on mlive.com in February, and what an incredible opportunity it has been.  

December will go down in the books for being a month full of new journeys. I cannot wait to see what 2014 has in store for me, my soon-to-be husband, the blog, work opportunities, and more!

Until next time. ;]

xoxo,

Laura

Holiday Madness

Whew! We are past Christmas and headed into the new year, and we are both feeling relieved! As much as we love the holidays, it's nice to see some of stress fade away. Yesterday, we attended one of our family Christmas parties. We have such a large family, that we still attend holiday events after Christmas day has passed. It was an amazing time, and it's always so nice to see family members that we rarely see outside of the holiday season. 

Katelyn's wearing: Dress- Thrifted // Leggings- Target // Sweater- Gap // Mittens- Younkers //

Scarf & Socks - Gifted // Boots- Minnetonka 

 

Laura's wearing: Coat- Guess // Top- LOFT // Vest & Jeans- H&M // Necklace- c/o Maurices 
 Bag- Target // Bracelets- Express, Forever21 // Boots- c/o Wolverine

 

We are super excited for NYE this year. We'll be heading to the B.O.B. downtown to party the night away and watch the Kari Lynch Band. What are your plans for ringing in the new year? We'd love to hear.

xoxo,
L & K

Recipe: Butter Press Cookies

We have another holiday cookie recipe for you all. This week, it's butter press cookies! Our family makes these every year before the holidays. We typically make at least 8 batches so that we have them for all holiday parties, friends and family. They are also perfect for decorating and passing out as gifts. I love pairing them with coffee!

Ingredients:

2 Sticks of Butter
1 Cup Sugar
2 Eggs
1 Teaspoon Vanilla
1 Teaspoon Almond
3 and 1/2 Cups of Flour
1 Teaspoon Salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Cream butter, sugar, eggs, almond and vanilla. Add the salt. Add enough flour to make dough that can be used in cookie press (not too sticky). Decorate cookies on sheet; bake 8-10 minutes.
Makes 3 dozen cookies.

xoxo,
Laura

Bitter Cold

Brrrr!! It's so cold that is hurts outside. I know I shouldn't be complaining because it's still early in the winter and it really does look beautiful out, but this really is a bitter cold. Luckily for me, the temperature is supposed to rise a bit this week. That also helps for my commute back and forth to work. When the roads are bad, I want to hibernate and complete my work from my bed. 

We headed down by the market yesterday to capture some winter-like photos. We ended up just shivering and losing feeling in our fingers and toes. ;]

Laura's wearing: Top- Frances Jaye // Jeans, Boots, Belt- Target // Necklace- H&M //

Watch- Kohl's // Glasses- Firmoo

I bought this top when I attended the Frances Jaye event hosted by Tieka of Selective Potential. I fell in love with it instantly. It screamed out my name, with the neutral color and detailed shoulders. Perfect for the holidays!

Katelyn's wearing: Flannel Shirt- L.L. Bean // Jacket- Victoria's Secret // Jeans- Urban Outfitters //

Scarf- H&M // Boots- Target // Headband- Forever21

 

We have some more holiday baking recipes coming up soon, so stay tuned for even more treats!

xoxo,
L & K

Recipe: Frosted Sugar Cookies

We've been on a bit of a baking rampage lately, and I couldn't be happier about it. During the holiday season, there's no activity I enjoy more than playing around in the kitchen. 

This past weekend, we made frosted sugar cookies with royal icing. 

What you'll need for Cookies:

Cookie Cutters

1 and 1/2 Cups Sifted Powdered Sugar

1 Cup Butter, Softened

1 Egg

2 Teaspoons Vanilla or Almond Extract

2 and 1/2 Cups Flour

1 Teaspoon Baking Soda

1 Teaspoon Cream of Tartar

What you'll need for Royal Icing:
 3 Tablespoons Meringue Powder
4 Cups Sifted Powdered Sugar
6 Tablespoons Water

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Cream sugar, butter and egg; add flavoring. Blend in dry ingredients. Refrigerate for 2-3 hours. Divide dough in half, roll onto floured surface and cut as desired.

Bake on greased cookie sheet for 5-8 minutes. (Keep an eye on them, they bake quickly!)

Decorate cookies as desired. This is the best part about making these cookies. You can use your creative freedom and mix up as many icing colors as you'd like. We used white, red, green, and blue. We topped with sprinkles, silver balls, and colored sugars. Have fun with it!

Happy Holidays,

Laura

Recipe: Chocolate Chip Cookies from Scratch

 

Alright you guys, Chocolate Chip Cookies are in my top five favorite desserts. I thought I would share my absolutely favorite recipe! I found this one on from In Katrina's Kitchen and it's the only one I will use now...so enjoy! It also helps that it's super easy for the cooking challenged like myself :)

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup shortening (the recipe suggests using butter flavored Crisco & I approve!)

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 eggs

1 package of chocolate chips

 

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2. Combine dry ingredients in a medium sized bowl and set aside

3. Beat shortening and sugars until creamy then add eggs and extract

4. Add dry ingredients and fold in chocolate chips

5. Place on a cookie sheet

6. Bake at 350 for 9 minutes

I decided to mix it up and use my Michigan cookie cutters to add some flair. I think they turned out so adorable! Have fun with it!

 

What holiday treats are you serving up this winter?

xoxo, k