INSTAGRAM

I realize I am a little late to the game, but I have created an Instagram account! Please feel free to follow me under modernfoxinista!

Also I have been doing daily postings to my Stella and Dot Facebook page, so please follow me here for the most up to date information on Stella and Dot merchandise and promos as well as fun styling tips!

I have been more active these days though those other venues, but I hope to write more blog entries again soon!

STELLA AND DOT!

At the end of April, I became an independent stylist for Stella and Dot. I already work a full time job AND a part time job, so I figured why not get crazy and throw a third job into the mix - ha! Well, the good thing is that as a stylist I can work it into my own schedule. Of course I want to do well and it will be work, but it will also be fun. A balancing act for sure.

For those of you who have not heard of this Fortune 500 company, you can learn more about them here. The company was founded by two women and was named after each of their grandmothers. The company designs and sells jewelry, fashion scarves, bags (of all sorts - purses and travel companions), and tech accessories. About every three months a new line of seasonal merchandise debuts. Stay tuned for the fall collection in July!

For right now I am booking shows, being active on social media, connecting with people personally and through email. My first two months as a stylist are very important and the more shows I can book now, and the more orders I can take now, the better my start will be!

I won't be filling up my blog with a ton of posts about my Stella and Dot jewels, but occasionally you will see something fabulous appear! For right now Facebook is my chosen social media. You can view and follow my fan page here. I will post updates on promos (company wide and personal), celebrities sporting our Stella and Dot attire, photos of my new arrivals and "how to wear" ideas among much more information!

Please feel free to check out the many offerings of Stella and Dot at my website: http://www.stelladot.com/sites/ValerieA

Today I am posting a few of my favorite pieces and best sellers, which you can find through the above website by doing a simple search of their titles....



Serenity Stone Drops in aqua: They also come in a smoky quartz, an emerald/jade green and turquoise.

 

 

 

 

Pegasus necklace: This was one of my first Stella and Dot purchases months before I became a stylist. I love that it can completely transform a basic outfit!

 

 

 

 

The "Switch" in Natural Snake: Each side zips diagonally, up and in so that it goes from a more casual look with the exposed canvas, to hiding the canvas and making it more sleek. It looks phenomenal in person! 

 

 

 

 

More to come at a later date!

Happy Friday!

 

 

Healthy Chocolate?

During one of my recent Target runs, I discovered a chocolate treat from a company called Brookside. Please note however, that it is distributed by Hershey. Anyway, this treat is awesome! If you want to have your chocolate and eat it too, without feeling too guilty, give these a shot.

Brookside makes three different dark chocolate covered fruits....dark chocolate acai with blueberry, dark chocolate pomegranate and dark chocolate goji with raspberry. All of the fruit selections are antioxidant sources.



I purchased the goji with raspberry and the little balls of chocolate fruit are nice and plump! Nothing like eating a shriveled up Raisinette. The dark chocolate balances out the sweetness/tartness of the fruit and you feel satisfied after just a few. Another great thing is that a serving size is 1/4 cup and has only 180 calories. However 20% of the calories are from saturated fat. There are 25g of sugar and 29g of carbs. All of the nutrition information can be found on their website.

Is it honestly "healthy"? Not really (but better than eating PB cups or your preferred candy bar). You are obviously better off eating a square of dark chocolate and eating fresh raspberries or blueberries for all of your fiber and antioxidants.

If you want to keep these around, my advice is to just be sure that you adhere to the serving size per snack, per day (or less because just a few really do go a long way). Additionally, if you are doing a wine tasting party, these would be great to pair with your deep red selections.

Get a coupon for $1.00 off, here!

It's Getting Wild

It is no secret that I like animal print....clothing, accessories, jewelry, accents....

However, when bright colors and strange materials start getting mixed in with the animal prints, that is when I start to shy away. Sometimes.

When I saw these cropped pants in a Chico's ad, I had to check them out in the store for myself. Metallic cheetah?! Well, I went, I tried, I bought! I have never bought a thing from Chico's, but these pants definitely drew me in and they have a great fit! I even got a second pair of pants that were on sale (under $30) with an extra 30% off on top of the sale price. I unexpectedly scored that day. The sales associate was very nice and she even grabbed a coupon for me to use. I ended up spending less on two pairs of pants, than the full price of the metallic cheetah print pants!

I will have to figure out how to wear them, but definitely a neutral shirt and accessories will balance the wildness and shine of the pants.

Watch out urban jungle.

Post- Thanksgiving Talk

I have been discussing with people the various eats they had for Thanksgiving, so I thought I would share here what I made.

If you are tired of the run of the mill, mushy stuffing (or dressing) that is cooked up every Thanksgiving, the following is delicious! Many people at the table devoured this stuffing and went back for seconds. I usually like to take a risk and cook/bake something a little different. It gives people the opportunity to expand the horizon of their taste buds and they will either love the dish or hate it.

Here it goes....

Cornbread, Sausage and Chestnut Stuffing:

I got this recipe from Williams Sonoma. Instead of pork sausage, I used venison. Besides the fact that it was what I had, I think that it corresponded better with the season. I am sure it gave the dish more flavor. I followed all of the other instructions. For the herbs I used thyme, sage and rosemary. You can buy chestnuts precooked and peeled. No need for you to do that daunting task yourself!
http://www.williams-sonoma.com/recipe/sausage-corn-bread-and-chestnut-dressing.html


Next up, desserts! I made a pumpkin version of the classic seven layer cookie. I also made an apple, cranberry, pecan pie.

Pumpkin Seven Layer Magic Bars:



This recipe that I found on this site (photo props from the site as well, since I was too busy baking and did not snap my own), was a yummy pumpkin treat. I would definitely use a rectangular cake pan the next time (like I have always done with the classic seven layer cookie), as it did not bake 100% in the middle. I did cook it a tad longer than directed and I did not want to risk burning the edges or bottom crust. Therefore, when I was cutting it to serve, I had to dig out about an inch in the center and toss it (shhh...!). Otherwise, very scrumptious! Like I said, I would make this again, but in the rectangular pan.  
http://www.bakersroyale.com/cookies/pumpkin-7-layer-magic-bars


Apple-Cranberry-Pecan Pie:

I got creative and used this recipe for "guidance". First of all, no way did I make my own pie crust! Store bought for sure! I used super plump, organic, dried cranberries, which made a huge difference in the texture and flavor of the pie. I didn't have brandy, so I used one tablespoon of sherry (it calls for 1.5 T of brandy). I added the pecan part myself as it does not call for these to be added. As part of step three of the method, I added about one cup of toasted halved/coarsely chopped pecans.

This pie was good - very rustic and organic tasting. Looking back, for those who like a bit of sweetness it probably would have been a good idea to sprinkle on some large sugar crystals prior to popping it in the oven.
http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/apple_cranberry_pie/

Did anyone else have great Thanksgiving Day food that they would like to share?!

Switzerland

I know you are all about to drop over that I am actually posting on my blog. However, please don't drop over before enjoying your turkey, stuffing and pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving tomorrow!

I wanted to share with you a You Tube link for the music video, "Switzerland". It's by a group called The Last Bison. They are formerly known as Bison and are from Chesapeake, VA. "Switzerland" is the first single from their Debut album. They independently released their first album Quill, in September 2011.

If you like Fleet Foxes, The Decemberists, or Mumford and Sons, you will definitely want to give this band a listen! I have a feeling we will be hearing more from them in the future, so I wanted you to get a jump on it! (In the past I have figured the same for Of Monsters and Men, Mumford and Sons, and The Lumineers about 9 months to a year before mainstream radio stations started playing their music).

Now, between your food preparations....or trying to get through your last few hours of work before the big feasting day, check out this whimsical video and great tune!

Happy Thanksgiving!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vAQX3xoe6sI

Food was the Forecast

Yesterday we went to the Phoenixville Restaurant Festival. The sun never truly came out like the forecasters said it would and weather wise it was a pretty disappointing day; however, the restaurant festival in Phoenixville was a new venture for us and it made for a nice Sunday outing.

The main reason for our trip was the cupcake business, Dia Doce. The blossoming cupcake business belongs to my sister's best friend from high school. My sister has been helping her out tremendously at local events and we went to the restaurant festival to give our support. The festival ran from 11AM-6PM and by 3PM they were sold out of the 300 cupcakes they made for the event! Dia Doce makes an array of flavors and my favorites from yesterday included the carmelized lemon basil, chocolate raspberry truffle and chocolate espresso with cookie dough filling. YU-UM!  You can order personalized cupcakes or pick from her list of unique flavors for your special event. Come June, there will be a Dia Doce cupcake truck traveling around southeastern Pennsylvania....mainly in Chester and Delaware counties to start, but you can visit her website and follow her on Twitter to find out more information on her expected stops. Cupcakes coming soon to a town near you!

Besides the cupcakes, we had a great meal at Molly Maguire's. The home store Hipster Home was pretty cool too. They sell my favorite plate pattern, which until now I was only able to find online. Phoenixville, we will be back to visit this summer and enjoy eating outside and strolling your streets in SUNNY, WARM weather!