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HAPPY CHRISTMAS!

Happy Holidays all you little birds! Wether you celebrate Christmas or not, here's a blessing of happiness and peace on a special day. I hope you will be spending the day with family or relaxing in some way.

Today has been a fantastic day in Nashville.  It's a perfect Christmas day with so much food that I'm fighting an official food coma as we speak. Not that I'm complaining.  Surprisingly I haven't baked anything for the day, but my lovely aunt who is quite the baker brought tons of yummy sweets. And tonight we will be eating fried chicken and collard greens - just like any good southern family should.

2011 has been a fantastic year full of craziness and love. I am so incredibly thankful for all of my experiences this year and look forward to spending the next year furthering my career, my self, my relationships, and my creativity.

Happy Christmas, birds!

OH. And next week will be a fantastically special week. why? Because MAGPIE IS COMING TO NASHVILLE! So excited. We will be blogging as a duo, which is a rarity since we live so far apart.

Eat, Drink, and Be Merry!

-- Eagle

The True Meaning of Christmas

It is 3 pm on Christmas Eve. I am spending the holidays at my parents house where my grandparents, my uncle, and 2 cousins have also organized. I've got a toddy in my hand, peanut butter cookies in the oven, my most festive vintage party dress on, and this is exactly how I love spending my Christmas Eve. In about 2 hours, I'll head off to church and in the midst of all the cozy merry-making, despite my efforts not to forgot, I hope the Lord will take me by the shoulders and remind me very firmly and clearly that the reason I live is to glorify Him. I'm praying for such a reminder for all of you dear readers :)

God's Love to All of You!!
-Magpie

Ooey Gooey Chocolate Butter Cookies

Alright yall. It's officially cookie baking time. I want to share with you my favorite cookie recipe. It's super easy and super delicious and I just know you will love it.

This is originally a recipe a la Paula Deen. That woman makes the most magical baked goods. I think its because she is not afraid of butter. Here we go:

The cast of characters:
-A box of fudgy chocolate cake mix
-A stick of butter (softened)
-A block of cream cheese (softened)
-1 egg

Mix all your ingredients together in a bowl and chill for at least 30 minutes. Next, roll the dough into 1" balls and roll in powdered sugar. *Warning* This is a messy cookie to make. You will get your hands dirty. Don't let that stop you!!

Bake for about 15-20 minutes. These are supposed to be really soft and fluffly cookies so don't be tempted to over cook them. You do, however, want to make sure that they are not gooey in the centers.

Finally- cool them off and display them on something adorable, like the cake plate you made after last week's tutorial! ;) And try not to eat the entire batch in one go. Have milk on hand.

Happy Baking Little Birds!
Love,
Magpie

DIY Cakestands!

Hello little birds! Firstly, I should let you all know that I'm obsessed with cake stands. Cake stands and tea pots are my downfall, really. And today, as I was meandering through my local Anthropologie store, they had some really beautiful plates and stemware on sale. I don't even use the stemware I already own and the plates match nothing in my kitchen but they were too pretty to pass up! And they were on sale! Plus 30% off!

So I decided to buy them and turn them into cake stands! I got two glasses of varying heights and two dessert plates for just under $20. Using some E6000, I glued the bottom of the glasses to the center of the bottom of each plate and Wah-Lah! Cake Stands!

Here's the finished product:

So easy and adorable! Now I just need to entertain!

Au Revior!
Magpie

Brrrrr!!! This morning, Houston, TX hit 29 degrees! That's probably the coldest we're going to see all winter and I couldn't be more content! I may have mentioned this recently, but I love the cold!

With the weather shift, comes a whole new slew of wardrobe and beauty malfunctions that we as women ought to be prepared for (if not for ourselves, then for the poor girl at the office who did not think ahead)! Here's what's in my arsenal (aka my purse):

1. Clear Nail Polish- It's been cold enough to wear tights for approximately 3 weeks and I've snagged approximately 3 pairs of tights in that window. Clear nail polish will stop the snag from worsening as the day progresses.

2. Cherry Chapstik- cold wind equals parched lips and you just never know when someone might want a kiss!

3. A Hankerchief- stop your runny nose in the classiest way possible

4. Hand Cream- dry parched hands do not beg to be held.

5. Sweet knit or leather gloves- to seal in the moisture from your lotion and fight off the dry cold!

6. Nail clippers- you don't want your jagged nail causing a snag in your tights!

7. A dryer sheet (only on days when static cling is an issue)- rub a dryer sheet over the static-y skirt of your dress or tuck it in your waistband (out of sight-of course!) to ward of cling! You'll smell fresh too!

8. A bottle of water- hydration in the winter is soooooo imperative!

9. A tea bag or packet of instant coffee- a cup of coffee is my favorite accessory and you just never know when a caffiene fit may come on, be it summer or winter.

10. A silk scarf- weather I'm using it to keep my neck warm or my hair in place, I almost always have one on hand.

And now, I'm drafting an agreement for everyone to sign. The four rules of winter will be: 

1. I will NOT blast the heater in my car or house, pointing directly at me- this will cause my skin and hair to dry out even worse than what the cold does. I will direct heat toward my feet and let it engulf me- even if it means I have to be cold for an extra 30 seconds.

2. I will NOT honk my nose, no matter how bad my cold is. Ladies never honk.

3. I will drink water obsessively, even more than I drank to stay hydrated during the summer!

4. I will take full advantage of all of the best winter accessories- scarves, ascots, gloves, hats, tights, etc. I WILL properly accessorize.

Did I miss anything? What are your winter rules to live by?

Stay Warm, Little Birds!
Love,
Magpie

Haul Out the Holly and All of your Wonderful Black Clothes!

It’s December! It’s December! While I know that the holidays freak a bunch of people out, I on the other hand, thrive during the holiday season. First and foremost, it’s almost Christmas which is the best holiday ever, what with all its cheer, delicious smells, reasons to be crafty, and of course, the birth of our Savior! But more than Christmas, I am just such a fan of winter! I despise hot weather and here in Texas, it finally drops below 70 degrees in December. Coats, sweaters, and boots, come out and swim suits get stuffed away (praise the Lord!) Black makes a reappearance accompanied by a myriad of colorful, patterned tights and scarves. Hair colors go darker and pale skin is social acceptable!

Before you people in snowy states get all crazy on me, telling me that winter in Texas isn’t really winter and I should try one where it REALLY gets cold, let me tell you- I have and I loved every minute of it, save for a few slippery car-ice situations. So there! *sticks tongue out*

I thought I would share with you an ode to my black turtleneck, which I am currently wearing and will wear religiously throughout the remainder of the cold months and likely into the months where it should still be cold but gets unseasonably warm anyway.

Ah the color black.

You hug the curves you should, and

Make the rest look flat.

Warm  wishes,

Magpie